MMIWG2S

Resources for Churches on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2-Spirit People (MMIWG2S) 

Welcome to this resource page

We are glad you are here to learn more and to consider how you and your church or small group can engage.

There is an intersection between the crises of commercial sexual exploitation and missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and 2-spirit people in Canada.  As we work to address one crisis we will also address the other, so tight is the connection.  As settler people in Canada and particularly as the church we need to first learn all we can and then humbly work towards reconciliation through relationship.

We hope that by using the interactive maps, the annotated bibliography, the regional documents of organizations and churches and especially the videos and discussion guides for small groups you will be informed and inspired to do your part in reconciling and healing work that must happen in order to stem the tide of violence, oppression and death among Indigenous women, girls and 2-Spirit people.  Empowered by the Spirit of Jesus, the church can be an instrument of healing and change.

When to use this resource

Our suggestion is to build this into your church calendar to coincide with Red Dress Day on May 5.  Alternatively, there are Sister in Spirit events which also honour MMIWG2S and take place in early OctoberUsing the small group material around either of these dates would work well.

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Red Dress Day | May 5th

May 5 marks the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit People (MMIWG2S+) on Turtle Island — also known as Red Dress Day. This day began as a response to and awareness of the alarmingly high numbers of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. The red dresses act as a visual reminder of all the missing women, girls, and two-spirit people. You will also sometimes see a red shirt to honour those who identify as two-spirit. In June, 2019, a report was released on the National Inquiry for MMIWG2S — it includes well over 200 recommendations and concluded that the disappearance of these girls and women is an ongoing genocide, which continued after residential schools, the ’60s scoop and day schools.

This day is about recognizing the harm that has affected these women and girls — also including their families and communities who are often left wondering “what happened “or “where did she go?”

Show Support


You can show your individual support by:

  1. Wearing red on May 5;
  2. Posting to social media and using the hashtags #nomorestolensisters, #MMIWG2S, #whywewearred and #3reddressday;
  3. Supporting any events or workshops that your communities or church may be holding and being an ally to your Indigenous neighbours;
  4. Hanging a red dress or shirt outside your door or establishment;
  5. Looking out for one another.

Get Support


The day can be triggering for those affected by MMWIG2S+ loss — if so, you can connect with the MMWIG2S+ support call line at 1-844-413-6649. This line is available free of charge, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Get Help

"Walk With Us" | Small Group Video Series


"Walk With Us" is a 3-part video series designed for small group study and discussion. This short, inspiring round-table conversation explores some of what's behind the MMIWG2S crisis, what families experience when searching for a missing loved one, and why churches need to engage with this issue.

Churches can promote the series to their small groups by showing the 2-minute promo video at a service.

The PDF guide will help with your small group's discussion time.



Promo Video (for weekend service)

Download

Part 1 (for small group)

Part 2 (for small group)

Part 3 (for small group)
A small group meeting
Small Group Discussion Guide

Download

Regional Resources


Region: Alberta and the Northwest Territories

Alberta

North West Territories 

Region: Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario west of the 90° meridian, and Nunavut

Saskatchewan

Manitoba 

North Western Ontario

Nunavut 

  • Coming soon!

Region: Eastern Ontario and the Atlantic Provinces

Eastern Ontario

New Brunswick

Newfoundland

Nova Scotia

PEI

  • Coming soon!
MMIW2GS Annotated Bibliography Cover

Annotated Bibliography

The annotated bibliography on MMIWG2S includes the following categories: Books, Children's Books, Reports, Articles, Websites, Prayer, Worship & Community Resources, Courses & Exercises, Videos, Films & Documentaries, Podcasts, Visual Art; Theatre, Dance Music & Spoken Word, Sisters in Spirit, Red Dress Day. The resource will be updated yearly.

Download

Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada’s (AANDC) GeoViewer

The Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada’s (AANDC) GeoViewer is a full-fledged map that contains detailed information on Indigenous peoples and Indigenous lands including Land Claim Settlement Land in Canada. This map provides viewing, searching, measuring, adding, sharing and printing of some departmental geographic data. Click on the image or on the links at the bottom of the page for detailed instructions for each map function The First Nations geographic location dataset contains the geographic location of First Nations (groups and subgroups) in Canada. The Aboriginal Lands of Canada Legislative Boundaries web service includes legislative boundaries of Indian Reserves, Land Claim Settlement Lands (lands created under Comprehensive Land Claims Process that do not or will not have Indian Reserve status under the Indian Act) and Indian Lands.

Click here for help document which provides an introduction to the components of the GeoViewer and how to use them.


View the Map
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Acknowledgements


Adrianna Jemielita, Annette Ford, Annie Vinodhini, Arlene Snider, Arlene Stinson, BoldFish Video, Brock Tyler, Christine Unrau, Cindy Leavitt, Emma Windsor-Liscombe, Glendyne Gerrard, Hailey Brown, Jolene Maxwell, Julia Ellergodt, Karen Jolly, Matthew Caldwell, Maureen Kehler, Rev. James Wheeler, Rev. Larry Hurst, Stella Sabo-Watson, Steven Regnault, Stephen Wright, Tobi Jolly, Virendra Shilwant