Red Ribbon Day honors the missing, murdered and exploited indigenous peoples

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Hundreds of people gathered Sunday for the fourth annual Red Ribbon Day to honor Missing, Murdered and Exploited Indigenous Peoples (MMEIP), their families and survivors.

National Awareness Day, this event is also known as Red Shirt or Red Shirt Day. Sunday's event was held near Calgary's Memorial Square of the Cross.

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Deborah Green-Gofer, MC for Sunday's event and MMEIP advocate, said the color red is very symbolic for MMEIP because red is the color that spirits see.

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Many of the red ribbons, shirts and shirts attached to the trees along Memorial Road bear the names of loved ones, each “carrying the spirit” of that loved one.

“It's not a march or a rally, it's a healing gathering for families and survivors, and education and awareness for non-Native people,” Green-Gofer said.

This day is very important for Green-Gofer and her family, because her sister is on the local list of missing and murdered.

“Compared to non-aboriginal people in Canada, we still face murder, exploitation, violence,” he said.

“Anybody who has a significant loss in their family, you have to go through a period of grieving,” he said. “Justice was never found for my family; however, we had a healing ceremony in the Tsuutina nation.'

While different people are at different stages of their healing journey, she said the event is for them to heal.

“We have an opportunity for dancers, singers and families to share what they truly need to share.”

Action is needed on “231 calls for justice”

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Green-Gopher spoke about the 231 calls for justice and the actions that all Canadians must take in them.

“We need action on 231 calls for justice in this country. It has been very disappointing since the report came out in 2019,” he said. “Statistics of indigenous people being killed or missing are actually increasing.”

He believes that callers to Canada or “Turtle Island” should read the 231 call. “If that's the only thing they do, that would be great. In addition, they can wear a red shirt, they can go to these gatherings.

“The truth … needs to be illuminated”: the mayor

Speaking at Sunday's event, Mayor Jyoti Gondek said, “We are all grateful to the local people who manage these places and give us the opportunity to come and live here.”

“As part of this gratitude, we should at least learn the language and promote the loss of these languages.”

Gondek said we still have a lot to learn, particularly the truth about how we can reconcile.

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“A lot of us, myself included, we're not ready for that,” he said. “The truth is painful, the truth is horrible, horrible, and it's something that needs to be brought to light.”

Jason Gordon, a Metis Nation citizen in Alberta, creates memorial roses for MMEIP families, which he believes serve as a powerful symbol.

The Green Gopher has his own rose. “It's so powerful, I keep mine in my holy grail,” he said.

“If we were a country of reconciliation, we would update the systems, there would be no need to hold these meetings, because our people would be safe.”

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