The Wei Wai Kum First Nation has issued a statement regarding the destruction of Red Dress Memorials along Hwy 19, which has happened since at least February.
"This letter is in response to the attention drawn to the very unsettling and disturbing reports of vandalism and destruction of memorials along the Inland Island Highway 19 between Campbell River and Courtenay," reads the statement. "These vigils were installed by numerous individuals and organizations in the Campbell River area, inspired and motivated to generate awareness, educate the broader public and pay tribute to the many victims of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) crisis."
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The destruction and vandalization of the plywood red dresses came to a head when Jamie Bryant, a member of the Liǧʷiłdax̌ ʷ community, wrote a letter to the City of Campbell River council after the community and other advocates reached out on multiple occasions since February.
"To see the negative acts to the vigils and memorials that bring awareness to the atrocities of continued violence against women and girls, to the point where they are repeatedly defaced and destroyed is heartbreaking. How can someone have so much hate for other people that they are motivated and driven to such acts of violence and racism?" further reads the statement.
"Our society cannot tolerate this, or we will never be able to grow into the strong society and people we know we can be. We have come very far as a society to understand each other and rectify the wrongs of the past. We cannot afford to let acts like this slow down or stop this work."
A meeting with city officials was held on Nov. 5, which included Wei Wai Kum First Nation Chief Chris Roberts, who said the meeting was respectful and productive.
The City of Campbell River did post information about Red Dress Day, including links to educational content on Red Dress Day and the Red Dress Movement, on its Facebook page on May 5. On Nov. 28, the city posted again on Facebook, formally acknowledging the trauma caused by the destruction of the vigils along Hwy 19. The post also encouraged people to contact the police if they knew anything about the destruction of the red dresses.
According to the RCMP's Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women: 2015 Update to the National Operational Overview, Indigenous women represent 10 per cent (or 174) of the total population of missing women in Canada. Furthermore, 111 of the women identified were suspected to have gone missing due to foul play or "unknown" circumstances.
The same report also revealed that between 1980 and 2014, there were 6,489 police-reported female homicide cases in Canada. Indigenous women represented 16 per cent of the total. Since 1991, the rate of murdered Indigenous women has remained the same or similar, while it has declined for non-Indigenous women. In 2014, they accounted for 21 per cent of female homicides, six times higher than non-Indigenous women.
Indigenous people only make up 4.3 per cent of Canada's population.
"Advocacy for the MMIWG movement began out of necessity to bring about change to the sad, current reality that Indigenous victims do not receive the same level of treatment, attention and support as non-Indigenous victims. Furthermore, Indigenous victims are grossly overrepresented in Canada’s criminal justice system. This screams of systemic racism still prevalent in our society, which is abhorrent and completely unacceptable," reads the Wei Wai Kum First Nation's statement.
"All people who live in the province of B.C. and across this country should not tolerate these violent acts and do their part to enact change for a better future for all. We must strengthen our communities and build a new collective memory for a more positive history for future generations. This movement is making a difference as we now have a National Day of Awareness for MMIWG, also known as Red Dress Day, held annually on May 5."
