May 5 is recognized across the country as Red Dress Day.
More than 100 members of the local Indigenous community, their allies, and families of victims of this Canada-wide crisis gathered at the Red Dress monument, located at Highway 16 and Ferry Avenue Monday.
Acting Mayor Susan Scott opened the event by reading aloud a proclamation of support from the City of Prince George. Signed by Mayor Simon Yu, the proclamation formally recognized the day as a Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit People, and affirmed the city’s support for the cause and its goals.
Red Dress Day was inspired by Métis artist Jaime Black, who hung hundreds of red dresses in public spaces to represent missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in Canada.
The event featured speakers from the RCMP, event organizers, and members of the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation, including Chief Dolleen Logan, who shared how the crisis has affected her personally.
“We're all touched in some way, on behalf of the murdered and missing women," said Chief Logan. “We all have an auntie. We all have a relative … I wish we didn't have to have events like this to get recognition for our women. But I want to thank you all for being here for support.”
Family members of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls also addressed the crowd, sharing stories of grief and their ongoing search for justice.
One of the speakers was Jenn Jack, a member of the missing Jack family of Prince George, who offered her perspective on the crisis.
“These are not just the names or faces we've lost touch with,” said Jack. “These are the threads of the fabric of who we are. Their absence is felt in our gatherings, in our stories, in the spaces where their laughter and presence once lived. We remember them not just with sadness but with hope—hope that we can reconnect, rebuild and bring our family back together. Whether time, distance or circumstances have separated us, our rooms remain shared and our hearts remain open.”
Another speaker was Terry Teegee, Regional Chief of the British Columbia Assembly of First Nations. Teegee, who has been personally affected by the crisis with the loss of a cousin, spoke with The Citizen at the event.
He emphasized that more needs to be done by both the province and the federal government to address the 231 Calls for Justice outlined in the final report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
“The implementation of the 231 Calls to Justice and the national inquiry needs to be fully resourced and committed to,” said Teegee. “As we see a new Liberal administration take office as a minority government, this is an important matter that needs to be prioritized. I would say the province needs to do the same.
“Resources for the prevention of these heinous acts against our women are really important. I think it's really important to raise awareness for the safety of women and also children, because there are cases out there where our women and girls' children have fallen victim to a partner or someone known. Anything within the Calls to Justice that could prevent this from happening needs to be fully supported.”
One of the event’s notable speakers was Ron Palta, unit head of the RCMP Special Projects Unit, which has worked on the Highway of Tears case since 2000.
Palta spoke with The Citizen about the emotional toll of his work.
“You can't help but be touched by the grief of the families and the community,” he said. “At an event like this, to have all the families present, to see the hurt that's still so present, it brings motivation to bring some resolve and closure to the families.”
He added that while more work is needed to bring closure, events like Red Dress Day serve as powerful motivation for investigators.
“What we'd like to do is, of course, solve all the cases and bring answers,” Palta said. “All we can do is persevere and let the families and the community know that we're still here. These cases aren't forgotten. We take motivation from the community coming out. Clearly, it's not forgotten by the community either. We bring that back to our office — to bring that passion and advance these cases and work them as best we can.”
The event concluded with more than 100 attendees lining Highway 16 to drum, sing and raise awareness about the crisis.
If you have any information on missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, contact the MMIWG toll-free support line at 1-844-413-6649 or your local RCMP detachment
