A walk and ceremony have been scheduled for next week in Penticton in honour of Red Dress Day, an annual event in memory of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2Spirit People (MMIWG2S+).
The Penticton Indian Band, City of Penticton, Ooknakane Friendship Centre, Okanagan Nation Alliance, and South Okanagan Métis Association are inviting the public to take part in the gathering on Monday, May 5.
The event begins at 11 a.m. at S.S. Sicamous Marine Heritage Park. A walk will then proceed toward Rotary Park, located at 185 Lakeshore Dr., where there will be speakers, information booths hosted by community partners, and refreshments.
Organizers are calling the day "a unified stand to honour and remember MMIWG2S+."
Indigenous women experienced homicide rates six times higher than their non-Indigenous counterparts between 2009 and 2021, according to Statistics Canada.
"We encourage community members from all backgrounds to attend, wear red, and stand in solidarity against gender-based and colonial violence affecting Indigenous peoples," a press release from the city reads.
Red Dress Day is observed across Canada every year on May 5.
This year's events in Penticton, while offering a space for "remembrance, reflection and community healing," will include:
• Poster making at S.S. Sicamous (11 a.m.)
• Opening prayer and smudge (11:30 a.m.)
• Walk begins (12 p.m.)
• Walk ends at Rotary Park (12:30 p.m.)
• Guest speakers, open mic, and community BBQ (1 p.m.)
