Every year on May 5, red dresses sway in the wind — hanging from trees, fences, windows — as silent witnesses to a national crisis: the epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People (MMIWG2S). But they are more than just memorials. They are symbols of resilience. Of voices that refuse to be silenced. Of communities that keep showing up, speaking out, and resisting.
At Resist Clothing Company, Red Dress Day isn't just a moment. It's a movement.
What Is Red Dress Day?
Red Dress Day, also known as the National Day of Awareness for MMIWG2S, began as a visual art installation by Métis artist Jaime Black. The image of empty red dresses caught in the wind became a haunting reminder of the lives stolen — and of the colonial violence that continues to target Indigenous women and gender-diverse people across Turtle Island.
The color red holds deep significance in many Indigenous cultures. It’s said that red is the only color spirits can see, calling them home. So on May 5, we wear red not just to mourn — but to remember, to resist, and to rise.
MMIWG2S: A Crisis Hidden in Plain Sight
This isn’t just history — it’s ongoing genocide. Indigenous women and girls are 12 times more likely to be murdered or go missing than non-Indigenous women in Canada, and similar numbers echo across the U.S. Data is underreported. Cases are ignored. Families are left to do the work that systems refuse to.
And yet, we continue.
Grandmothers lead vigils. Sisters hold marches. Youth amplify the call for justice on TikTok and Instagram. The red dress has become a national symbol — but the work behind it is deeply local, rooted in community, culture, and care.
Resilience Isn’t Just Survival — It’s Resistance
When we talk about Indigenous resilience, we’re not talking about trauma olympics. We’re talking about a fire that never went out. We’re talking about matriarchs who held languages and lifeways through residential schools, about Two-Spirit warriors reclaiming space, about youth who wear beadwork like armor.
Resilience is sewing ribbon skirts after a protest. It’s making noise at city hall. It’s wearing red on May 5 and knowing your ancestors are watching.
At Resist, we weave this truth into every design we drop. We don’t just sell clothes — we tell stories. And we’ll keep telling them until there are no more stolen sisters, no more stolen futures.
How You Can Show Up This Red Dress Day
Whether you're Indigenous or an ally, Red Dress Day is a call to action. Here's how to stand in solidarity:
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Wear red — Show up visibly. Be present in your community, online and offline.
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Learn the names — Follow MMIW organizations and amplify family-led initiatives.
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Donate directly — Support grassroots groups doing frontline work like:
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Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC)
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MMIWG2S+ Family Fund
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Sovereign Bodies Institute
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Listen — Uplift Indigenous voices. Don’t center yourself in the conversation.
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Support Indigenous-owned brands — Like us. Because when you wear Resist, you’re not just making a statement — you’re joining a movement.
Beyond May 5: Keep the Fire Burning
Red Dress Day is one day. The work is every day. If you’re wondering what to do after May 5, keep asking questions. Keep holding systems accountable. Keep showing up.
Support artists and storytellers. Learn about the intersections of colonialism, gendered violence, and resource extraction. (Yeah — pipelines and man camps? Directly linked to increased violence against Indigenous women.) Be the relative that shows up even when no one’s watching.
From Grief, We Create Power
This day is heavy. It always will be. But it’s also powerful. Because despite centuries of erasure, we’re still here. Still creating. Still resisting.
To all the families still searching, still fighting, still praying — we see you. We carry your loved ones’ names in our hearts and on our backs. We fight for them in the streets and on our platforms. And we won’t stop until every red dress is filled again — with laughter, with love, with life.
Join the Movement. Wear Red. Resist.
🧵 Shop the collection → https://resistclothing.ca/collections/mmiw
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