(Photo: Courtesy of Patty Musgrave-Quinn)
A reminder of the number of Indigenous deaths in this province, are appearing in the form of a wooden cutout in the shape of a red dress.
They’ve appeared in front of the Law Courts, outside RCMP and other police stations, and in various other places.
Activist and Advocate Patty Musgrave-Quinn says this is a part of the red dress movement that began in Manitoba years ago to symbolize every indigenous woman who has gone missing or has been murdered, “After the shooting of Chantel Moore and then the shooting of Rodney Levi, it became super important to get these dresses up, and remind people of the decision by the Premier not to launch an inquiry into their deaths. It’s in an effort to make the point that, you may not have to listen, but you will have to see.”
Quinn they need to keep this momentum going, “We don’t have to be out there protesting with signs, we don’t have to do that. These red dresses are very symbolic and quiet.”
They have been created by Tom Johnson, whose family is originally from the Tobique First Nation, and who was also close to Rodney Levi.
“We saw red dresses as symbols during October 4th as a part of Sisters in Spirit vigil. They were especially in First Nations communities, you’ll saw them on houses or windows, but never really in public spaces like this. So I think this is really a big first,” Musgrave-Quinn says.
Red dresses can also be found on the site for murder victim Loretta Saunders. her body was found in Salisbury in 2014. One red dress has already been hung, to represent Saunders unborn child, and another will be hung on Saturday to represent Saunders. A ceremony will be held at 8am Saturday morning as they hang the eight foot red dress.
Musgrave-Quinn says there are more red dresses available from Johnson, for a donation to the Rodney Levi GoFundMe page, that is helping to raise money for the investigation into his death.
(Photo: Courtesy of Patty Musgrave-Quinn)
(Photo: courtesy of Parry Musgrave Quinn)
