Red Dress Day dresses needed
CMU Museum staff are seeking donated red dresses for exhibits in remembrance for the missing and murdered Indigenous women
Red Dress Day, a national day of remembrance for the missing and murdered Indigenous women, will be held May 5. To honor the women, local leaders and Central Michigan University are asking local dress lovers to loan red dresses.
The Central Michigan University Museum will be accepting loans for red dresses until Friday, April 12. The deadline for other community drop off locations is Friday, April 19.
Representatives from the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe (SCIT), the Zonta International Club of Mount Pleasant, RISE Advocacy, McLaren Hospital and the CMU Museum are collaborating for this event.
To loan a dress, drop off hours will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. located at the CMU Museum, Rowe Hall room 103.
Loaned dresses may be picked up from the CMU Museum from June 3 through September.
To donate dresses, drop off locations include:
- SCIT Behavioral Health building: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 2800 S. Shepherd Rd.
- Trillium Fine Clothing: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 123 E. Broadway St.
- Isabella Child Development Center Thrift Shop: 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday at 1250 Watson Rd.
- McLaren Central Michigan: Open 24 hours located at 1221 South Dr.
- Isabella County Commission on Aging: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 2200 S. Lincoln Rd.
Ruth Helwig is a member of the Zonta club of Mount Pleasant. The Zonta club is an international organization whose goals are to improve the lives of women and girls through education and training focusing on healthcare and ending sexual assault and violence.
Helwig said there are instances where members of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe have gone missing or been murdered. Family members are still dealing with the losses of those members, she said.
“It’s important to highlight their stories and make the whole community aware that this is an issue among indigenous people and among those members of our community as well,” Helwig said.
Jalene Lewis is a Coordinator for the Vicitim Services program at the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe.
Lewis said the color red is symbolic in several ways as it is the only color spirits can see, relates to our lifeblood and represents vitality and violence.
Dresses collected will be hanging and accompanied by signage that explains why it’s important as well as statistics, Lewis said.
“The dresses are symbolic, so there’s no specific type of dress we’re looking for,” Helwig said. “The idea is to be representative of all kinds and sizes of women.”
Red Dress exhibits will be featured throughout the community until the middle of May.
A gallery and speaker event displaying the dresses will occur from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on May 2 at Art Reach Mid Michigan located at 111 E. Broadway St.
The exhibit will run from April 29 until May 7.
No More Stolen Sisters, a second speaker event will take place from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. on May 16 at Broadway Park located at 2451 Nish Na Be Among Dr.
For more information contact the Behavioral Health Victim Services at 989-775-4400 or by emailing at BHVictimServices@sagchip.org.
