On May 5th, 2025, as we mark Red Dress Day across Turtle Island, we are confronted with the painful reality that consent remains unequally applied in Canada—both for Indigenous women and for Indigenous nations. The hanging red dresses that will adorn trees, buildings, and clothing today symbolize more than just the thousands of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit people (MMIWG2S+); they represent a nation’s failure to recognize Indigenous consent as absolute, sacred and unchangeable.

The statistics tell a devastating story: Indigenous women and girls make up less than 5% of Canada’s population but represent approximately 24% of all homicide victims. They are 12 times more likely to be murdered or go missing than non-Indigenous women. Behind each statistic is a person—a daughter, mother, sister, auntie, friend—whose life mattered and continues to matter.

On this Red Dress Day, we reflect on the profound connection between the violence experienced by Indigenous women and the ongoing dismissal of Indigenous nations’ right to consent to development on their inherent territory. The crisis of MMIWG2S+ emerges from the same colonial foundation that continues to deny Indigenous communities their inherent right to free, prior, and informed consent.

On this solemn day, we reflect on the profound connection between violence against Indigenous women and the dismissal of Haudenosaunee nations’ right to consent. Both share the same colonial foundation—a system that refuses to recognize Indigenous autonomy, whether over bodies or territories.

The tagline “No Redress on Red Dress Day” speaks to this painful reality: just as Indigenous women have been denied justice when reporting violence, Indigenous nations increasingly face barriers to legal remedy when their rights are disregarded. New legislation like Bill 5 threatens to eliminate avenues for Indigenous communities to seek redress when consultation is bypassed and consent ignored—echoing how the justice system has historically failed Indigenous women.

In many Indigenous Nations, women hold sacred responsibilities as life-givers, water carriers, knowledge keepers, and leaders. In Haudenosaunee societies, Clan Mothers hold central roles in governance. Today, Indigenous women land defenders face criminalization for protecting territories against harmful development—an extension of the same violence documented in the MMIWG2S+ National Inquiry.

The National Inquiry and Calls for Justice

The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, released in June 2019, compiled testimonies from more than 2,380 individuals and concluded that the violence constitutes genocide. The report issued 231 Calls for Justice directed at governments, institutions, social services, industries, and all Canadians.

Six years later, implementation of these calls remains inadequate, with many families still waiting for justice and concrete action.

Taking Action Today

• Wear red today to show solidarity and raise awareness
• Listen to and amplify the voices of survivors and families with their consent
• Write to elected officials demanding full implementation of the 231 Calls for Justice
• Attend local vigils, walks, and events in your community (see below)
• Donate to Indigenous-led organizations supporting MMIWG2S+ families and survivors
• Educate yourself and others about the root causes of violence against Indigenous women
• Support Indigenous land and water defenders who face similar threats of violence
• Speak out against legislation that removes Indigenous legal rights and recourse

The red dresses remind us that the violence against our women is violence against our nations. Both share the same root cause—a colonial system that refuses to recognize our right to consent, our right to say ‘no,’ and our right to seek justice when these rights are violated. On Red Dress Day, HDI ensures their commitment to ending all forms of violence against Indigenous women and nations.