Today, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations Rebecca Alty; Minister of Indigenous Services Mandy Gull-Masty; Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs and Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency Rebecca Chartrand; and Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism) Rechie Valdez issued the following statement:
"The red dresses on display across the country today, inspired by Métis artist Jaime Black Morsette's REDress Project, are a powerful reminder of the Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people who have gone missing or been murdered in Canada.
On this national day of awareness, we honour the lives lost and we stand with the victims, survivors, families, and communities who continue to lead with strength. We join them in asserting our shared determination to build a safer country for everyone.
To mark this important day we joined Prime Minister Mark Carney, Indigenous Grandmothers, Elders and Knowledge Keepers in a ceremony to honour the Sacred Bundle.
The Sacred Bundle carries and reflects the spiritual foundation of the National Inquiry, carrying the prayers, stories, and truths of victims, survivors, and their loved ones and communities. During the ceremony today, the Prime Minister received the Sacred Bundle and reaffirmed the Government of Canada's ongoing commitment to end the national crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people.
We continue to collaborate with Indigenous communities and partners, as well as with provinces and territories. Ending this crisis requires sustained, coordinated action across all levels of government and in partnership with Indigenous peoples, to end this crisis. This requires actions from all, guided by the lived experiences of families and survivors.
That is why today we are announcing $2.6 million for the National Family and Survivors Circle Inc to continue their work in centering families and survivors in the implementation of the National Inquiry's Calls for Justice. At the same time, we are also announcing $300,000 for Giganawenimaanaanig to help advance the next steps on a Red Dress Alert pilot in Manitoba.
Further, we are also making investments in areas such as the expansion of access to safe, culturally appropriate spaces through the Indigenous Shelter and Transitional Housing Initiative
