May 5 is Red Dress Day, the National Day of Awareness and Remembrance for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people (MMIWG2S).
Inspired by Métis artist Jaime Black’s REDress Project, red dresses will hang in various locations within the Patrick Power Library as a symbol of those who never returned home and to bring awareness to the ongoing violence against Indigenous communities.
The SMU community is encouraged to visit the Library to view the dresses and the related book display, to support learning and reflection on Indigenous culture and experience.
Additional resources
Visit the online Red Dress Day Booklist for more than 25 titles curated by the Patrick Power Library.
Outreach and Engagement Librarian Sarah West and Indigenous Student Advisor Kylar Johnson worked together to create a refreshed installation in the Patrick Power Library for 2026. To further honour Red Dress Day and raise awareness, a video was created for SMU’s social media channels, capturing the display and featuring powerful messages that reflect the impacts of the ongoing crisis.
The Red Dress Day video has received more than 800K views at last count, extending the reach of this powerful and poignant message well beyond our campus.