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Red dresses were hung outdoors in Salmon Arm and communities across the country Monday in honour of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people. 

The sanguine symbols are hung annually for the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit+ People on May 5, or Red Dress Day, to honour and bring awareness to the Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people who have been subject to violence in Canada. The day was inspired by M茅tis artist and activist Jaime Black-Morsette's REDress Project. The project was launched in 2009 as a way to gather community and create action and change around the epidemic of violence against Indigenous women and girls. 

Red Dress Day was first recognized in 2010. 

"Currently, Indigenous women make up 16 per cent of all femicide victims and 11 per cent of all missing women," says Amnesty International. "Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ peoples are also six times more likely to be murdered than their non-Indigenous counterparts.

"These high rates of violence have drawn widespread expressions of concern from national and international human rights authorities, which have repeatedly called for Canada to address the problem."

In a statement issued on Monday, May 5, B.C. Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation Minister Christine Boyle called the day a time of mourning to "acknowledge the heartache of the family and friends of those taken too soon and a day to reinforce the need to end violence against Indigenous people."

"It's crucial that we persist in addressing the underlying issues of violence, such as colonialism, racism and misogyny," said Boyle. "We will also continue to support Indigenous self-determination, safety planning and healing through Indigenous-led initiatives that promote capacity building and culturally safe approaches."