Local Indigenous organization has red shirt stolen right before Red Dress Day

The Healing of The Seven Generations noticed this morning that one of their new display items had been taken.

A red shirt was torn down from a pillar that was placed there to honour a boy who was missing. The display, out front of their office on 300 Frederick St., was set up to remember missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and LGBTQ2S+ people. The idea is to promote awareness and to help anyone missing be found.

It comes just before Red Dress Day on May 5, a day in the country that was made to remember missing and murdered Indigenous people.

The organization’s executive director, Donna Dubie, told CityNews 570 that she considers it a hate crime and disrespectful.

“How do you report one item, really there is no cost value to it, but the meaning of it is great,” she said. “When it’s out there and were honouring the missing murdered Indigenous people across Turtle Island and somebody comes and disrespects that display by stealing one of the items.”

They had the same problem last year at this time, a red shirt was torn down from a display. This year they added more security, using zip ties but still an unknown person stole the item anyway.

“If this was a cemetery and that’s sort of what it’s representing would they actually go in the cemetery and steal some of the items family might have left for their loved ones, would they go and steal the flowers?” Dubie said.

“In the past our sites have been vandalized. Somebody threw wet paint on the front of the building, they knocked over our grandfather, they stole one of our ‘Every Child Matters’ flags… that happened when we put our display out there for the Every Child Matters in September. Do I think it’s a hate crime? Absolutely I do,” said Dubie.

Serena Wesley is the systems navigation and family support worker for the Healing of The Seven Generations, she helps people navigate the court system and helps ensure Indigenous children aren’t needlessly taken away from their parents.

Wesley helped set up the display and was upset when she saw a red shirt stolen.

“There’s a story on each one of those posts so this person literally had to stand there in front of that post, in front of that child’s post and tear that shirt down,” she said.“It is quite upsetting just because of what it represents its like a memorial but bringing awareness to our people and what they have to go through. “

The Healing of The Seven Generations office is open to the community, and they said if someone really needed the shirt, they would have just freely given it away. They also help provide education about Indigenous people in the region.

“For me, I’m one of the ones that helps organize the walk for missing murdered Indigenous because my mom is one of them. So, you know it’s an attack against those people that you know were trying to honour,” Wesley said.

The organization is hosting a walk on Sunday as part of Red Dress Day. It starts from their location at 10 a.m. and from there they will walk over to the clock tower at Victoria Park.

There will be public speakers as well as drumming. Later in the evening at 6 p.m. they will be hosting a vigil that the community is invited to take part in.

In a statement to CityNews 570, Waterloo Regional Police Services say they received a report at about 12:40 p.m. May 2.

“It is believed the incident occurred over night between the hours of 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. Due to the cultural significance of the stolen item, WRPS’s General Investigative Unit and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Unit are involved in the investigation. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact police at 519-570-9777, or Waterloo Crime Stoppers for anonymous tips.”