The Revelstoke School District Indigenous Education department has created a display as part of a wider body of work to recognize the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women called the REDress Project.
Located above Track Street, along the pathway to Mount Revelstoke National Park, a trail of red ribbons opens up to the powerful installation of red dresses hanging from tree branches, which has been realized through the combined efforts of students, district staff, and members of the community.
The display will be available for public viewing until June 25 in cooperation with the Revelstoke Railway Museum.
The REDress movement was created in 2010 by Métis artist Jaime Black to commemorate and raise awareness for missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.
According to the creators of the REDress project, in Canada more than 1,000 Indigenous women and children have been kidnapped and murdered with no legal consequence.
The local project was created by Ella Hardy, Mya Manson, and Suri Stewardson, students at Revelstoke Secondary, alongside local artist Rob Buchanan and Indigenous Student Advocate Jessica Stewardson.
“In Indigenous folklore, spirits are said to only be able to see the colour red,” wrote Hardy in an artist statement for the project.
“This installation was created to draw attention to the violent, gendered, and racially motivated crimes against Indigenous women. Walking through the forest installation you would find that to start there are not many dresses. Some were hidden and backlit to symbolize the ‘sweeping under the rug’ approach that was taken towards these kidnappings.
“The forest was filled with red.”
The dresses installed dance in the wind, and a trickling brook and the faint sounds of cars on the highway can be heard while viewing the exhibit.
The students now have the option of preserving the exhibit permanently with photography and direction from Buchanan, and are extending a special thank you to Jim Cullen of the Revelstoke Railway Museum for hosting the display.
READ MORE: Revelstoke resident hailed as hero for saving baby’s life with CPR
READ MORE: Revelstoke author shares stories from the forest in new book and exhibit
@josh_piercey
josh.piercey@revelstokereview.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.