Dozens gathered in Lloydminster on Red Dress Day to honour missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people, and to call for continued action on violence in their communities.
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The day began with a pipe ceremony at the Lloydminster Native Friendship Centre, followed by a walk from city hall back to the centre, where attendees heard from speakers and shared a meal.
Deborah Munroe, executive director of the friendship centre, said the turnout reflects strong community support and a need for healing.
“It shows people believe in the cause of our event,” she said. “Indigenous people come to show their support or come for healing, because a lot of our people have experienced violence and trauma.”
Munroe said violence against Indigenous people remains disproportionately high, noting Indigenous women face significantly higher rates than non-Indigenous women.
“When Indigenous people come, they’re coming to support. When non-Indigenous people come, they come as an ally,” she said.
She added the issue is not limited to women.
“Not even just towards women, but men as well experience a higher rate of violence than non-Indigenous men,” she said.
Munroe said the impact is also felt locally, pointing to multiple cases in the Lloydminster area.
“We’re not immune to it, that’s for sure,” she said. “We have about nine stories on our wall of people who are local to this area and the surrounding area. It happens everywhere — no community is immune.”
Events like Red Dress Day help keep the issue in the public eye and push for broader change, she added.
“It’s our way of calling the government to action — it’s still a problem,” she said. “We’re still going to advocate for what we know should be more protection for Indigenous women and girls.”
Munroe described the gathering as a step forward, but said more work is needed.
“We have a long way to go to dismantle systemic racism,” she said. “It’s a step in the right direction.”
Roughly 80 people attended the morning ceremony, including about 30 youth from local schools.
“It’s nice to see everybody — all the faces that come,” Munroe said. “We have supporters, we have allies. I’m very grateful that we have so many supporters in our community.”
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