Vigil to be held on Parliament Hill today for missing and murdered Indigenous women

A person hangs a red dress before a walk on the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirited people in Canada in Saskatoon on Friday, May 5, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Heywood Yu

OTTAWA — Family and friends of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people are set to gather on Parliament Hill today.

Participants plan to hold a press conference and a vigil for Red Dress Day.

The event will be led by Bridget Tolley, founder of Families of Sisters in Spirit.

Speakers will commemorate lost loved ones and comment on Canada’s progress 10 years after the launch of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

Métis artist Jaime Black inspired the use of red dresses to represent missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls with an exhibit in 2010.

Black displayed more than 100 red dresses around the University of Winnipeg campus to raise awareness of the issue.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 5, 2026.