Who is She: The Stories Behind the Red Dress

As I drive to and from work each day on the Six Nations reserve in Ohsweken, Ontario, I drive by a tree where someone has hung up a beautiful red dress to represent one of the more than 1200 missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in Canada. Under this red dress is a sign that reads “Who is She?” It is this sign that truly compelled me to read about and pray for the people who are represented by these red dresses that many Canadians have seen in their cities over the past few month. It is this sign that compels me to ask you the same question…who is she?

She is a mother…

Shelly Dene, 25, is mother to one son, and after dropping out of school at a young age, she finished Grade 12 in 2010. Shelly battled drug and alcohol addiction, but she had been three years sober and had received her son back from social services. Shelly had enrolled in college and she was excited for what was next. Shelly was last seen in Edmonton, Alberta in July 2013.

She is a sister…

Amber Rose Marie Guiboche was three years younger than her sister Ashely Geddes. The two sisters were inseparable and enjoyed playing tricks on people. Their favourite prank was popping balloons during family celebrations. Amber Rose wanted to become a nurse, possibly even a doctor. But on November 10, 2010, five days after she turned 20, Amber disappeared. She was last seen in Winnipeg, Manitoba.  

She is a niece…

Jennifer Catcheway, who grew up in Skownan First Nation, phoned her mom on June 19, 2008 to say she would be home in Manitoba’s Portage la Prairie from her uncle and cousin’s house in Grand Rapids later that night to celebrate her 18th birthday. But she never arrived. When Jennifer’s mother went to the Winnipeg Police Service they did not take her seriously and assumed her daughter was drunk somewhere. Jennifer’s family has continued to search for her since she disappeared.

She is a daughter…

Linda May Scott, 29, was from the Blood Indian Reserve in Alberta. Linda was a mother of five and loved to be around friends and family. Linda was adopted at just three and half months old by Theresa Armstrong and Harold Scott. Linda’s adoptive mother remembers Linda trying to learn more about her background when she was 18 years old; she yearned to learn more about her own roots and where her biological parents came from. Linda loved helping those around her. The last time Linda's family heard from her was in September 2000.

She is a friend…

Abigail Andrews, 28, worked at FSJ Fashions and The Frontier Bar and Grill in northeastern British Columbia’s Fort St. John before she vanished. Her friends report that she had left her home and was supposed to meet them at another friend’s house when she disappeared. Abigail was Métis and was reported as being pregnant when she seen for the last time on April 7, 2010.

She is a community member…

Tamra Jewel Keepness, from Whitebear First Nation in Saskatchewan, was only five years old when she went missing. She was last seen on the evening of July 5, 2004 in her family’s home. Tamra was a brave, smart, and loving kid. She had a favourite pine tree at the end of her block that she liked to climb whenever she had the chance. Tamra’s mother still hopes for the day when her daughter will be returned home.  

She is a leader…

Angel Edna Carlick, 19, worked at The Youth of Today Society — the same downtown Whitehorse, Yukon resource centre she said changed her life. At the centre, she ran a dinner program that made meals for children. “She was like a big sister to her peers. She took care of people,” said the executive director of The Youth of Today Society. Angel loved to paint and her art still covers some of the walls in the resource centre. At the time of her death, Angel was saving money to buy her own home – a dream she had since living on the streets as a teen. Shortly after her high school graduation, on May 27, 2007 Carlick was seen for the last time in the city. Nearly six months later, a hiker found her body in a wooded area in Pilot Mountain, Yukon near Whitehorse. 

She is valuable…

Lana Derrick, a 19-year-old college student studying forestry at a college in Houston, British Columbia, was visiting her mom in Terrace, BC, when she went missing in the early hours of October 6, 1995. The RCMP reports say she was last seen at a gas station on Highway 16 just outside of town early that morning, but her family believes the last place she was seen alive was her friend Clarice’s house in Terrace. Since her disappearance, there has been no sign of her, and her case is being handled by E­-PANA, an RCMP task force that investigates deaths and disappearances tied to Highway 16 between Prince George and Prince Rupert, otherwise known as­­ the Highway of Tears. Her case is still open, and her family still does not know what happened to her.

As I read through each of these stories and the hundreds of stories like these, my heart cannot help but break for these women, their families, and their communities. I also am reminded that God’s heart breaks for these women, their families, and their communities as well as for those who have committed these injustices. I invite you to pray with me for all those impacted by injustices against Indigenous Peoples. I invite you also to seek out opportunities to advocate for change in society and change in systems to ensure justice for all.   

* The details and information regarding each of the stories mentioned in this article come directly from the http://www.cbc.ca/missingandmurdered/ website.

** To access the Month of Prayer Resource please visit the Canadian Aboriginal Ministry Committee's toolkit at https://aboriginalministry.wordpress.com/worship-resources/month-of-prayer/