New art acknowledges missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, two-spirit peoples

xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw, sə̓lílwətaʔɬ (VANCOUVER, BC) – In honour of Red Dress Day on May 5, TransLink is displaying an impactful message and accompanying artwork created by Butterflies in Spirit, bringing awareness to missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit peoples (MMIWG2S+) in North America.

The Healing Journey Through Dance art installation features eight panels, located near the Expo Line platform at Stadium–Chinatown Station, depicting images of Butterflies in Spirit dancers and their family members, who have gone missing or been murdered.

Butterflies in Spirit is a dance group comprising Indigenous artists who have been impacted by this crisis. The group’s dancers, choreographers, and musicians bring awareness to the injustices and discrimination faced by Indigenous Peoples through community advocacy, dance, music, and art.

The National Day of Awareness for MMIWG2S+, commonly known as Red Dress Day, recognizes the disappearance of, and disproportionate rates of violence against, Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit peoples across the country. The day is marked annually on May 5.

To commemorate Red Dress Day and the new art display, a dance performance by Butterflies in Spirit was also held at Stadium–Chinatown Station today. Through their performance, the dancers honoured those affected by this tragedy and empowered Indigenous family members to speak their truth.

TransLink is honoured to have Butterflies in Spirit’s art on its system to bring awareness to missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit peoples, as part of its ongoing commitment to reconciliation.

Quotes:

Kevin Quinn, CEO, TransLink –
“We recognize the need to create more awareness about this national tragedy and are committed to doing our part to advance reconciliation. We appreciate Butterflies in Spirit for their strength in sharing their message about Red Dress Day with TransLink and the public, and for encouraging us all to take time to acknowledge the ongoing impacts of colonial and gender-based violence towards Indigenous communities.”

Lorelei Williams, Founder and Director, Butterflies in Spirit –
“We truly appreciate TransLink reaching out to us and collaborating on this amazing project to raise awareness for Red Dress Day. This means so much to us because it's another important platform to honour and remember our missing and murdered loved ones.”

More information:
Transport 2050
Butterflies in Spirit

Media downloads:
Ceremony video and art panel photos

Media contact:
TransLink Media Relations
E: media@translink.ca