Tay Township honours missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls

Tay, Ontario: Following a smudging ceremony and traditional drumming, red dresses were placed outside the Municipal Office today as an aesthetic response to the more than one thousand two hundred missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in Canada.

Originating in 2010 in Winnipeg, Manitoba by Métis Artist Jaime Black, the REDress Project has since expanded to Tay and many other communities across the country.

In an artist statement, Black describes that the red dresses evoke a presence through the marking of absence.

Locally, a group of women are spreading awareness by encouraging participation in the project. “You can take part by hanging a red dress outside your home or business,” says Bonnie Sheriff.

Tay Township Council welcomed the request to participate. “We appreciate the opportunity to help bring awareness to this critical national issue,” said Mayor Ted Walker.

The red dress installation will be displayed at the Municipal Office until Mother’s Day.

Learn more about the REDress Project at redressproject.org.

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Lynn Racicot
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705-534-7248 x264
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