Building bridges between all communities
Issue link: http://publications.winnipegfreepress.com/i/593706
PAGE 12 • NOVEMBER 2015 Weworkwithyouto designyourbuilding projectsbothlarge andsmall. • Residentail • Commercial • Industrial • ContractorPricing Available ForCommercialSalescontact WardHintonat204-774-7389 oremail: commercialsales489@rona.ca 1333SargentAvenue 204-774-7389 TollFree1-888-680-7389 CommercialSales 204-979-7389 Dedicatedtofostering relationshipswithour FirstNationscommunities. There was a vigil at the Manitoba Legislature, indeed across the country, that marked a day for remembering and honouring the 1200 Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women across the country but some people are making the effort to raise awareness on a personal level. Ko'ona Cochrane has been hanging two red dress around her home for people to see. "I realized that it's just not the campaign of that one art shows here and there. That it was far more impactful for us here in the community to see what's been going on," said Cochrane. "One of the reasons why I chose to put one out in the front and one on that can be seen from my backlane because I live in the inner city here. There's alot of the sex trade going on around here. I know for a fact I've had johns stop in the backlane." She said it should bring to mind that Indigenous women continue to be exploited sexually. And that it happens on daily basis in Winnipeg. In May 2015, Metis artist Jaime Black hung around 100 red dresses on the Confederation College Campus to raise awareness about the issue of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. Black also took her exhibit on the road with a stop at Winnipeg's historic Urban Shaman Gallery earlier this year. Since that time, red dresses have been used to bring awareness to the issue of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women in this country. Cochrane pointed out that if the ratios were compared to non-Indigenous women that there would be more than 20,000 mainstream Canadian women missing. "This isn't us complaining but pointing out there are systemic issues that need to be addressed," said Cochrane. By First Nations Voice staff red dress campaign: honouring the missing and murdered women in a community setting Ko'ona Cochrane