National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls
Advocating for justice, honor, and remembrance, ensuring visibility and action to address the safety and rights of indigenous women and girls.
Amplify awareness and advocacy for missing and murdered Indigenous women through educational content, art installations, and community engagement campaigns that honor victims and drive systemic change.
- Share the REDress Project story and invite followers to learn about the epidemic through curated resources
- Host or promote REDress art installations in community spaces with educational panels and survivor/family testimonials
- Create educational content series on Indigenous women's safety, statistics, and policy gaps with calls-to-action for advocacy
- Partner with Indigenous organizations to amplify their voices and direct support to victim services and justice initiatives
An important impetus for the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls came through a Canadian artist named Jaime Black. In the early 2000s, Black used her influence to start the REDress project as an art installation to call attention to the epidemic of missing and murdered indigenous women in Canada and the US.
This artistic expression led to hundreds of red dresses being donated for use in future installations and also was the start of REDress Day being celebrated on May 5. Each year, many different important spaces house REDress installations, including the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington D.C. in 2019.
The official campaign for the United States to declare this as an awareness day was started in 2017 by two senators from Montana. In 2018, the US declared this same day that had started as REDress Day, but the name was adjusted to the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Native Women and Girls.
Learn More About Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women
One of the most important ways to participate in this national day of awareness is to commit to getting more educated and informed, and then sharing this with others in your sphere of influence. Learn more about the statistics and needs by visiting the website of the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center, the US Department of Indian Affairs or other important resources.
Read the Apology to Native Peoples
In 2009, the United States Congress issued an acknowledgment and apology to the Native peoples for the way the US government has treated them with depredations and policies that were to the disadvantage of native and indigenous peoples. Access this apology online and read through it in observance of the National Day of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.