Kanesatake students stand up for stolen sisters
Red dresses hanging from the tree in front of Ratihén:te High School swayed in the wind last Friday as people driving by honked their horns in support of the students and staff gathered outside to raise awareness about the epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG).
Held annually on May 5, Red Dress Day, also known as the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and Two-Spirit People, aims to honour their memory and serve as a call to action.
Grade 10 and 11 students once again led the initiative, this time creating a video posted to social media inviting the entire community to commemorate the day with them two days ahead of May 5, which fell on a Sunday.
“It’s really endearing, but it’s emotional, it’s powerful to see them get involved and know the truth as well,” said their teacher Christine Lefebvre. “They want to push that knowledge to the rest of the community, which is great, because they’re the leaders of the community, the next leaders. So it’s really empowering, I feel like it’s special.”
Research and statistics reveal the staggering rates at which Indigenous women and girls go missing or are murdered, and oftentimes their cases are underreported by government officials, further masking the magnitude of the problem.
Indigenous women are four times more likely to be victims of violence than their non-Indigenous counterparts, according to the Assembly of First Nations.
“That’s what brings us here today, is because the missing women and children, a lot of them don’t make it home, a lot of them disappear for life,” said David Gabriel, Indigenous healing and wellness worker at the Kanesatake Health Center, who was in attendance.
He told the story of a young girl who disappeared from a powwow a few years back, causing panic in the crowds. Security on the ground canvassed the event asking if they’d seen the young girl. Though she was found at a nearby gas station shortly after, with the suspect arrested and the girl brought back safely, Gabriel emphasized it was one lucky case, and a reminder of how close the threat can be.
Mary Jane Hannaburg, a mental health worker at the KHC, praised the students for their efforts in raising awareness about MMIWG and the reasons behind the disproportionate numbers.
“When one Indigenous person ... has gone missing or is murdered, it wipes out their generations,” she said. “We are very few.”
As part of the awareness campaign, students designed two flags to put up on the school’s front lawn on Friday. One read “NO MORE STOLEN SISTERS,” while the other had a handprint with an illustration of dresses hanging from a tree on either side with #MMIW at the top.
Students also prepared a quiz to further share facts and knowledge about the current statistics relating to MMIWG. Instead of T-shirts, they designed sweatshirts and stickers this year.
The younger grades also contributed by making art projects inspired by Red Dress Day.
“It’s what we’re trying to get them to achieve, to do things on their own to take initiative. And that’s what our school is about – the leaders of tomorrow,” said the school’s principal, Kimberly Simo.
“They are the future of our community, so for them to take the initiative, to have an event, to raise awareness, it’s very important,” she said.
Simon also addressed the importance of educating students and youth about human trafficking and urging them to be careful and aware of threats and dangers – even online.
“Our people are talking about it, but a lot of non-Indigenous communities are still unaware of how many people are actually missing,” Simon said.
nanor.fr@gmail.com
Nanor Froundjian, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Eastern Door