Niagara College and Brock University are honouring the lives of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people.
Red dresses will hang at the Welland Campus of Niagara College and the Daniel J. Patterson Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
At Brock the dresses will be displayed indoors and outdoors across the University's main campus and Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts.
The REDress Project began back in 2011 as an art installation at the University of Winnipeg by Métis artist Jaime Black.
The dresses signify the loss of thousands of Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit, lesbian, gay, trans, bisexual, queer, questioning, intersex and asexual (2SLGTBQQIA) people over the past 40 years to colonial violence.
Robyn Bourgeois, Vice-Provost, Indigenous Engagement at Brock says it remains critical to raise awareness about violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people, "We continue to disappear and be murdered across Turtle Island, and Canadian governments have done little to implement the Calls for Justice of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls."
Leah Hogan, Associate Director of Indigenous Education at Niagara College says, "We continue to draw attention to the reality of our community's experience with gender-based violence against our women, LGBTQ+, and two-spirited people by hanging red dresses, We all must keep the dialogue going on this national and human rights issue."
Brock will also have a day of activities on Tuesday, Feb. 14 in Brock's Pond Inlet to honour and remember those who were impacted by colonial violence.
Taking place from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., the gathering will feature a traditional song from Bourgeois, art displays and workshops, where participants will learn to make beaded medicine pouches, Métis sash bookmarks, beaded red dress earrings and seal skin bracelets.
In addition to red dress displays at Niagara College, the NC button - a life-size logo located at the main entrances at both campuses - will be illuminated red on Feb.14 in support of the REDress Project.