Several Indigenous women gathered at the legislative building Thursday morning to honour Red Dress Day, an annual event aiming to raise awareness for missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls (MMIWG).
Betty Nippi-Albright, an NDP MLA and residential school survivor, said they are calling on the provincial government to commit to ending violence against Indigenous women who are disproportionately affected.
“Reconciliation cannot occur without that commitment, a commitment to Indigenous led solutions and the adoption of trauma informed approaches, a respect for Indigenous knowledge and a willingness to sit down and work together,” she said.
In recognition of Red Dress Day, the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) Women’s Commission launched an updated Declaration to Honour First Nations Women and Girls and a request to implement the National Inquiry’s 231 Calls to Justice.
Chief Trisha Sutherland of One Arrow First Nation said they are calling on all levels of government to adopt their declaration and join them in solidarity.
“We stand here today, shoulder to shoulder with our families that have experienced a loss we would never wish on anyone,” she said.
The Saskatchewan government voted on and passed the motion Thursday.
“We continue to engage with Indigenous people so we can better understand how to address this urgent and tragic issue,” said Minister of Justice Gordon Wyant.
“While we remember these individuals (who have gone missing or murdered) today, we need to be remembering them each and every day of the year.”
Vice Chief Aly Bear said Red Dress Day is important not only for awareness but also to take care of the next generations.
“We need our society, institutions, and workplaces to be safe spaces where we no longer live in fear for ourselves and our family’s safety daily,” she said.
“We want to honour those families and we want to honour those women and we don’t want to forget who they are.”
Nippi-Albright said it’s essential to put faces to those who have gone missing.
“It isn’t just a number or statistic, this is a human being,” she said. “This is a person that is an auntie, that is a mother, that is a community member.”
Family members of MMIWG were also at the legislature to share their stories.
Loretta Henderson’s daughter, Krista Kenny, went missing in 2009 when she was 16-years-old. Her remains where found shortly after she went missing. Henderson said although it’s been 13 years, it is still difficult.
“She was kind, she was loving, she helped out so many people, she leaves a lot of family that we still struggle today missing her,” she said. “Every day we talk about her, always mention her because she was my only daughter. I look after her daughter now, her daughter is now 13.”
Gwenda Yuzicappi, mother of the late Amber Redman, said her daughter was only 19-years-old when she went missing and it took two years and 10 months to find her remains. She said only 42 per cent of her daughter’s remains were found.
“I come here as a mother, I come here to speak for my daughter. I am my daughter’s voice and I will continue to be her voice,” she said.
Joyce Keepness, grandmother of Tamra Keepness who went missing 16 years ago when she was five years old, said every day, there is something that reminds her of Tamra.
“It’s something that you never forget. It stays with you,” she said. “This little person, are we ever going to find her? Is she out there?”
Vice Chief Bear said she has been in contact with the government and RCMP on how they can address issuing Amber Alerts for missing Indigenous people, referring to Frank Young of Red Earth Cree Nation.
“We can’t rule out him not being abducted, so that’s what we’re here for. We’re here to continue to stand up and demand justice for our peoples, for our women, for our children and for all missing Indigenous peoples,” she said. “[We’re here to] let you know that we are still here.”
Red Dress Day is commemorated annually on May 5 which grew out of the REDress Project, created by Métis artist Jaime Black in 2010.
The FSIN represents 74 First Nations in Saskatchewan.
Russia attacked the Ukrainian capital early Sunday, striking at least two residential buildings, the mayor of Kyiv said, as elsewhere Russian troops fought to consolidate their gains in the country's east.
Russian President Valdimir Putin was a target of mockery by leaders of the Group of Seven, as they sat around a table Sunday, commencing their three-day summit in Bavarian Alps, Germany.
G7 leaders opened their summit Sunday with a discussion about shaping the global economy at a time when conflict and unrest are driving up prices and access to key goods around the world.
Canada's chief of defence says Russia's invasion of Ukraine is going to change the course of history.
David Cohen has been the United States' Ambassador to Canada since November 2021, and in the time since, both Canada and the United States have experienced a series of shared challenges. In an interview at his official residence in Ottawa, Cohen opens up about the state of the relationship.
The latest on the G7 summit: The Group of Seven leading democratic economies has formally launched at its annual summit a global infastructure and investment partnership aimed at pushing back China's influence in the developing world.
Norway's prime minister and members of the royal family joined mourners at a memorial service Sunday at Oslo Cathedral for the victims of a shooting attack as the capital held its annual LGBTQ Pride festival.
Cat and dog owners who cuddle their pets when infected with COVID-19 could end up making the animals sick with the virus, according to a Canadian study.
New research looking at the frequency of heavy rainfall across the globe shows that a drastic increase in downpours is expected over the years to come.
Saskatchewan's NDP Opposition is poised to elect its first woman leader.
When Ennio Muzzolini walked into Christies Mayfair Bakery in 1965 interested in purchasing the small bakery on 33rd Street, he never imagined he’d one day be looking on as hundreds of people lined the block to get their hands on a baguette, cinnamon bun or wood-fired pizza.
Organizers have decided to cancel the Elk Ridge Open due to an “inordinate amount of rain.”
Residents in Gimli are dealing with overland flooding due to high water levels on Lake Winnipeg and strong winds.
Lori Ann Mancheese's death is now one of five women in the span of about a month being grieved by members of the province's Indigenous community. Winnipeg police say three of those women were murdered.
Russian President Valdimir Putin was a target of mockery by leaders of the Group of Seven, as they sat around a table Sunday, commencing their three-day summit in Bavarian Alps, Germany.
Organizers of a central Alberta rodeo and its parade committee are calling for calm after a float in this weekend's parade, which possessed a racist theme, was seen in the procession.
If you are looking for some more time on the slopes even though it's already summer, you might be pleased by an opportunity at Banff Sunshine Village.
People are getting ready to return to Wakamne, God's Lake, on pilgrimage when the Pope visits Alberta.
People are getting ready to return to Wakamne, God's Lake, on pilgrimage when the Pope visits Alberta.
Flames were coming from the bedroom of a west Edmonton home by the time crews arrived at the scene of a fire Saturday night.
Organizers of a central Alberta rodeo and its parade committee are calling for calm after a float in this weekend's parade, which possessed a racist theme, was seen in the procession.
Thousands of people have lined up the streets of downtown Toronto as the city's Pride parade gets underway for the first time in two years.
There are now more than 50 outdoor pools open across Toronto where people can go to beat the heat.
A heat warning remains in place for the remainder of the weekend in Toronto, but temperatures are expected to cool down Sunday evening.
Ontario Provincial Police say minor injuries have been reported after a driver struck another vehicle on Highway 417 Saturday, causing it to roll.
A driver going 69 km/h over the speed limit on King Edward Avenue was one of five motorists charged with stunt driving on Ottawa roads this weekend.
CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at five stories to watch in Ottawa this week.
Firefighters in Port Coquitlam extinguished a large fire in an apartment building on Wilson Avenue overnight.
While most of B.C. remains under a special weather statement as the summer's first hot weather rolls through, the advisory has been upgraded to a heat warning for the Lower Mainland.
The 96-year-old woman who died in the arms of firefighters now lingers in the memory of Chief Jim Ogloff of the Coquitlam Fire Department, a reminder of the impact of last summer's heat dome disaster on vulnerable residents of British Columbia.
A man in crisis stabbed several people Sunday morning in downtown Montreal, leaving one dead and three injured.
The Montreal fire department (SIM) is advising citizens to avoid the intersection of Sherbrooke St. East near Durocher Ave. as a major building fire is blazing.
The higher parts of Angelique Beauchemin's land, she said, are sinking an inch or two a year as they slope ever more steeply toward the river. While she's not a scientist, she says her biggest fear is that one day there will be a landslide and the white house at the top of the hill where she's lived for decades will tumble down.
Mounties on Quadra Island are investigating what they call a "linen heist" at a local resort.
Barb Randall travelled from Nanaimo, B.C., to Petawawa, Ont., to surprise the sister she hasn't seen in years.
The 96-year-old woman who died in the arms of firefighters now lingers in the memory of Chief Jim Ogloff of the Coquitlam Fire Department, a reminder of the impact of last summer's heat dome disaster on vulnerable residents of British Columbia.
The inquiry into Nova Scotia’s 2020 mass shooting, says four pages of handwritten notes that sparked a political firestorm in Ottawa this week, weren’t immediately submitted when subpoenaed by its investigators.
After a week of criticism and anger at the Mass Casualty Commission in Nova Scotia, and outcry in a rural area of New Brunswick, there are questions about the RCMP’s role in community policing.
Gas prices at over two dollars a litre may be too much for some drivers to ignore this summer.
A person was taken to hospital after a shooting on the Sheguiandah First Nation on Manitoulin Island Friday.
OPP Tweet: Highway 17 closed at Sand Bay Road at the Spanish River bridge.
The future site of Canada Place will include a new walkway, seating and gardens meant to recognize diversity and inclusion.
The latest developments for encampments in Waterloo Region, field trips being paid for, and a new hospital for the area round out the top stories of the week.
Norfolk County OPP are asking for the public's help with an arson case from three years ago.
Many in Waterloo Region are reacting to the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade and what it could mean for Canada.
