Students and staff at JP II Collegiate are working to raise awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. (Submitted photo/JP II Collegiate High School)

By Josh Ryan

Raising awareness

JP II students acknowledging missing, murdered indigenous women

May 4, 2021 | 4:26 PM

Students at John Paul II Collegiate and beyond are participating to help raise awareness around missing and murdered indigenous women and girls.

From May 4-5, the Catholic high school are displaying red dresses around the campus, along with profiles of many of the unsolved cases. There are also faceless dolls displayed, to represent the 61 missing and two murdered indigenous women in Saskatchewan.

Graduation coach Shaylen Fox said it’s the first year they’ve organized this display, in the hopes of it providing important discussion. Leading up to this week, the school also had a ‘dress-down’ period, where teachers pay $10 to wear various casual attire, the funds of which will go towards Krista Fox’s Walk Across Canada, a cross-country walk for missing woman Ashley Morin, a former JP II student. Based on how things have gone so far, Fox said he’s encouraged

“We wanted to bring awareness to our school and the community,” he said.

Fox said it was especially positive to hear from people in the community leading up to Wednesday.

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“Parents are saying their kids are coming home asking about the red dress, dolls and more,” he said. “Now it’s not just on the teachers shoulders, it’s also on the parents and the community.”

Teacher Dee-Jaye Stebanuk said there’s also plenty of questions being asked in the classroom, such as around the meaning of the dresses. As a result, many students are opening up in a way they weren’t before.

“We’re having those important conversations and making those steps towards reconciliation,” Stebanuk said.

In addition to the displays, students have been active in raising awareness. The logo for t-shirts acknowledging the issue of missing and murdered indigenous women was designed by a student at JP II with t-shirts selling for $15. All of the proceeds will also go towards the cross-country walk.

“Hopefully, it will continue to draw more attention to the matter,” Stebanuk said.

The school will provide Fox with the funding proceeds on Wednesday, shortly before noon.

(Submitted photo/JP II Collegiate High School)

Virtual walk planned at Friendship Centre

The Battlefords Indian and Metis Friendship Centre is hosting a virtual walk Wednesday from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. to also raise funds for the Krista Fox Walk Across Canada.

As announced on the group’s Facebook Page, people can take a video of themselves walking wherever they are and post it to their own Facebook Page. If they wish share it, they can then do so on the Friendship Centre’s page.

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josh.ryan@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @JoshRyanSports