Red Dress more than just a day each year

By Lethbridge Herald on May 6, 2025.

Alexandra Noad
Lethbridge Herald
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

On Monday, people across the nation commemorated Indigenous women and girls who have been missing and murdered.

Organizations took part in the day with various events including an information session and a sunset walk hosted by the Southern Alberta Metis Association as well as many others shared their support for the day, including Lethbridge Police, Victim Services and the City of Lethbridge.

Echo Nowak, Indigenous relation specialist for the City of Lethbridge, says nationally 24 per cent of homicides are Indigenous women, while they make up only four per cent of the population.

“The numbers are outstanding and it is an emergency that needs to be taken care of.”

In February of this year, the bodies of two women were found in the Prairie Green Landfill outside of Winnipeg. The remains belonged to Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran, two Indigenous women who were believed to be victims of serial killer Jeremy Skibinski back in 2022.

Loved ones of Harris and Myran pleaded with the Manitoba government to search the landfill, and former premier Heather Stefanson told news outlets that it was too risky. A few months later, in October of 2023, Wab Kinew became premier with the promise of searching the landfill.

Just under a year later, in September of 2024 the hiring process for the landfill search began. The excavation of the landfill began on Oct. 23, 2024 and the search began on Dec. 18, 2024 with the bodies being found a couple months later.

Nowak says this is just one case of many across the nation.

“It’s something that’s happening in every neighbourhood and we really need to start drawing attention to this, so today is one of those days where we can speak up and we can bring attention to the situation.”

With the organizations posting their solidarity on social media, Nowak believes actions speak louder than words.

“We need to start taking action, it’s not a one-day event, once a year to post something on social media. I want to know what actions are being taken.”

She adds that she recognizes the work Victim Services is doing for the Indigenous community, but says Indigenous women are still going missing and more needs to be done.

City Hall was lit up in red to commemorate the day and has released an educational resource to help better understand of the local area and the Indigenous women who occupy it. It’s available on the City of Lethbridge’s website and paper copies can be purchased at city hall.

Nowak says education is just the first step of helping keep Indigenous women and girls safe.

“They need to be aware and they need to speak up, they need to have some compassion and they need to have some understanding in our community our vulnerable sector don’t want to be out there but they are for a reason; so it’s about us learning and having some compassion.”

Nowak says this is just one case of many across the nation.

“It’s something that’s happening in every neighbourhood and we really need to start drawing attention to this, so today is one of those days where we can speak up and we can bring attention to the situation.”

While organizations are posting their solidarity on social media, Nowak believes actions speak louder than words.

“We need to start taking action,” she says. “It’s not a one-day event, once a year to post something on social media. I want to know what actions are being taken.”

She adds that she recognizes the work Victim Services is doing for the Indigenous community, but says Indigenous women are still going missing and more needs to be done.

The Herald reached out to the Lethbridge Police Service for comment on what it was doing to mark the day but didn’t receive a response by press time.

City Hall was lit up in red to commemorate the day and has released an educational resource to help better understand the local area and the Indigenous women who occupy it. It is available on the City of Lethbridge’s website and paper copies can be purchased at City Hall.

Nowak says education is just the first step of helping keep Indigenous women and girls safe.

“They need to be aware and they need to speak up,” she says. “They need to have some compassion and they need to have some understanding in our community. Our vulnerable sector don’t want to be out there but they are for a reason, so it’s about us learning and having some compassion.”

Nowak says this is just one case of many across the nation.

“It’s something that’s happening in every neighbourhood and we really need to start drawing attention to this, so today is one of those days where we can speak up and we can bring attention to the situation.”

While organizations are posting their solidarity on social media, Nowak believes actions speak louder than words.

“We need to start taking action,” she says. “It’s not a one-day event, once a year to post something on social media. I want to know what actions are being taken.”

She adds that she recognizes the work Victim Services is doing for the Indigenous community, but says Indigenous women are still going missing and more needs to be done.

The Herald reached out to the Lethbridge Police Service for comment on what it was doing to mark the day but didn’t receive a response by press time.

City Hall was lit up in red to commemorate the day and has released an educational resource to help better understand the local area and the Indigenous women who occupy it. It is available on the City of Lethbridge’s website and paper copies can be purchased at City Hall.

Nowak says education is just the first step of helping keep Indigenous women and girls safe.

“They need to be aware and they need to speak up,” she says. “They need to have some compassion and they need to have some understanding in our community. Our vulnerable sector don’t want to be out there but they are for a reason, so it’s about us learning and having some compassion.”