If you plan on walking the pathway above Track Street to Mount Revelstoke National Park, you may notice vibrant red clothing suspended and floating gently in the breeze. However, this impactful project goes beyond its visual presence as a powerful reminder and a call to action.
The School District Indigenous Education Department invites the public in Revelstoke to recognize and commemorate the lost lives of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) through their upcoming REDress Installation.
The original REDress installation sparked the ongoing movement, first established in 2010 by Metis artist Jamie Black to commemorate and raise awareness of MMIWG. Since then, the movement has been duplicated in many locations throughout Canada as an aesthetic visual reminder of what the artist calls a critical national issue. The project served as inspiration for Red Dress day. The day for Canadians to honour and speak out against violence against indigenous women fell on May 5 this year.
In cooperation with the Revelstoke Railway Museum, the Revelstoke School District Indigenous Education Department will display their own REDress Installation in Revelstoke – available for public viewing from June 18 until June 25. The display will be located above Track Street along the pathway to Mount Revelstoke National Park, which departs from the flag display behind the Railway Museum. The installation coordinators ask visitors to follow the flags along the path to the installation.
Watch: See the REDress display from the 2021 Riverside Traditional Knowledge Tour
The SD19 Indigenous Education Department says that this powerful display has been realized through the combined efforts of students, district staff, and community members.