Lakefield College School Students Advocate for MMIWG2S+ Awareness

This week, Lakefield College School students commemorated Red Dress Day, marking the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and Two-Spirit People (MMIWG2S). This annual observance serves as a poignant reminder of the ongoing need to address the systemic issues surrounding the disappearance and violence against Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit individuals in Canada and the United States.

The initiative, which originated over a decade ago, aims to shed light on the plight of MMIWG2S communities and honour the lives lost. Stella ’25, Ella ’25, Liz ’26, Nabeeha ’26, Molly ’26 and their peers in Ms. Brown's Gender Studies class spearheaded the initiative to adorn our campus with red dresses, symbolizing the missing and murdered individuals whose voices continue to echo through the fabric of our society. 

“I believe that one of the most powerful ways for topics such as Red Dress Day to be honoured is by providing education about the topic; such as statistics, stories, or simply what the day is honouring. With education, we are able to learn what to do and what not to do which can lead to change for the better. Education sparks conversation, and that within itself is a step toward greater understanding and acknowledgment.” – Molly ’26

Lily ’26 further amplified the message of awareness by affixing stories about MMIWG2S+ individuals to the red dresses. 

“As a gender studies class, we came up with the idea of putting the names of some of the missing and murdered indigenous women on the red dresses to spark interest in the subject, spread awareness, and give a visual of 20 out of many cases [...] We hope this will spark people to educate themselves on the topic and see the importance of this subject and hopefully start conversations in the LCS community. We hope this can create a ripple effect where the LCS community will learn more about this and then they will start talking about it outside of school and so on.” - Lily ’26

The presence of the red dresses served as a powerful visual reminder of the ongoing need for action and accountability in addressing the epidemic of violence against Indigenous communities. By engaging in dialogue and reflection, Lakefield students demonstrated their dedication to standing in solidarity with Indigenous peoples and advocating for justice and reconciliation.

To read the stories that were affixed to the dresses, visit CBC's website, Unresolved: Case Closed or Murder?