Photo: Gwenda Yuzicappi holding a photo of her daughter / Photo by: Danielle Dufour
By Danielle Dufour
It was July 2005 and Amber Redman was out at a bar with her boyfriend when they got into an argument and he left her there. When she went to leave, five men abducted her. She never returned home.
They raped her, beat her and buried her remains in a bush.
Photo of: The ceremony room at the Regina Police Station
Photo by: Danielle Dufour
May 5th marks Red Dress Day. The Regina Police Service Chief Davies and officers, along with Victim Services and guests, joined together in the ceremony room under the guidance of Elder Diane Kaiswatum to support families of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls and to bring awareness through a round circle discussion.
Earlier in the day, a pipe ceremony took place a local park where male and female Tipi’s were set up.
Photo of: Elder Diane Kaiswatum as she offered guidance during the discussion
Photo by: Danielle Dufour
“A special day, but in remembrance,” said Elder Kaiswatum. “We are always in prayer every day for the ones that have gone on and the ones that are missing.”
Gwenda Yuzicappi, a mother of three from the Standing Buffalo First Nation, sat among the crowd to honour her late daughter Amber, who was a girl’s fancy dancer.
“She danced like an eagle,” said Yuzicappi.
During the morning pipe ceremony, Yuzicappi was shocked when she learned of the naming of the site.
“The name in Cree is Red Star Woman, and that’s my late daughter’s Dakota name.”
“It was beautiful,” said Yuzicappi. “I was very honoured and whole through ceremony that this name was given. I was overwhelmingly emotional in a good way. I keep telling my baby that she’s living on.”
Yuzicappi feels her daughter is guiding her to speak out about missing and murdered women.
“As Indigenous women we are seen as nothing, that we don’t matter,” said Yuzicappi. “It could happen anytime we could be taken.”
She reminded the group to be sure to let someone know where you are going, to stay in touch and be safe.
“It’s a very emotional day for some and it’s good to remember those that have gone on and ones that struggle with the ones that aren’t home yet,” said Elder Kaiswatum.
Chief Davies concluded the ceremony and said, “We commit to doing more for families. As a community, we need to ensure girls and 2-spirited individuals are safe in our community.”