On May 5, we recognize Red Dress Day, the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ Peoples. This day, inspired by the REDress Project by artist Jaime Black, honours those who have been lost to gender-based violence and brings attention to the ongoing MMIWG2S+ crisis in Canada. We invite you to explore this reading list to remember those who are missing, learn from Indigenous voices leading the call for justice, and better understand the colonial and systemic roots of this national tragedy.
REDress: Art, Action, and the Power of Presence by Jaime Black-Morsette
Adult: An anthology of the stories and experiences of Indigenous women, compiled by Jaime Black-Morsette, creator of the Red Dress Project.
Mask of the Deer Woman by Laurie L. Dove
Adult: Ex-Chicago detective Carrie Starr returns to his roots and the reservation where he grew up to investigate the disappearance of a young Indigenous woman.
Unbroken: My Fight for Survival, Hope, and Justice for Indigenous Women and Girls by Angela Sterritt
Adult: Part memoir, part investigative journalism, Unbroken sheds light on the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls
Highway of Tears by Jessica McDiarmid
Adult: Looks at the missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls of Highway 16, and the ongoing failure to provide justice.
Red River Girl: The Life and Death of Tina Fontaine by Joanna Jolly
Adult: Chronicles the investigation of the murder of an Indigenous teenager in Winnipeg, tracing the troubled life of the victim leading to her death.
Searching for Savanna: The Murder of One Native American Woman and the Violence Against the Many by Mona Gable
Adult: Investigates the disappearance of a young and pregnant Indigenous woman, Savanna LaFontaine-Greywin.
