TransLink honours Red Dress Day

TransLink honours Red Dress Day

Photo of Butterflies in spirit dancers looking at the MMIW art installation at Stadium–Chinatown Station

In honour of Red Dress Day on May 5, we’re 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. The art display will be up until the end of August, 2023