Healing Through Crafting Workshop for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, Men and Two-Spirit People

Join the Healing Through Crafting workshop to help prepare for the annual February 14 Memorial Feast to honour missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, men and two-spirit people. Participants will be invited to cut out red dresses that will be strung together and displayed at the Memorial Feast to bring awareness to the thousands of Indigenous Peoples who have gone missing or who have been murdered across Turtle Island.

While crafting takes place, participants will have the opportunity to watch educational resources about missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls by Dr. Pamela Palmater, TMU’s Chair in Indigenous Governance. Dr. Palmater’s teachings will speak to the abuse, exploitation, violence, disappearances and murders of Indigenous Peoples in Canada. 

Trigger warning: Please be aware that the educational content shared is about femicide and gender-based violence. At the end of the event, there will be a closing to release difficult emotions. Traditional Indigenous medicines will also be available to all participants.

This event is organized by Indigenous Initiatives in the Office of the Vice-President, Equity and Community Inclusion (OVPECI) and the Indigenous Education Council in the Office of the Provost and Vice-President, Academic.

Who are the MMIWGM2S?

MMIWGM2S stands for missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, men and two-spirit people. The families of missing and murdered Indigenous women have been raising awareness for decades. In 2004, the Native Women’s Association of Canada launched the Sisters In Spirit campaign to address violence against Indigenous women and girls, creating a database of these disappearances for greater coordination and communication across communities.

Through this program, the MMIWGM2S communities and allies collectively called for a National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. The National inquiry began in 2016 and ended in 2019. Read the  (PDF file) Executive Summary Report: Reclaiming Power and Place (external link) .

This event is wheelchair accessible

The university is committed to the accessibility and inclusion of persons with disabilities. If you require any additional accessibility accommodations to ensure your full participation, please email Cher Trudeau, Administrative Coordinator, Indigenous Education Council and Indigenous Initiatives, at cktrudeau@torontomu.ca. 

Questions?

If you have any questions, please email Cher Trudeau, Administrative Coordinator, Indigenous Education Council and Indigenous Initiatives, at cktrudeau@torontomu.ca.