Learning Through Art: MMIWG2S statement piece at the Libraries
Since 2010, the Red Dress movement, originated by Métis artist Jaime Black, has been both an artistic and educational call to action, raising awareness of the disproportionate number of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit (MMIWG2S) people in Canada. The red dress symbolizes grief, resistance and the strength of the survivors and families affected by this ongoing crisis.
As part of the Libraries’ ongoing reconciliation efforts, a new art installation has been added to Dana Porter Library. The piece serves as a year-round presence, inviting reflection, conversation, learning and action beyond a single day of commemoration.
A dress that tells a story
Bead artist Shay Herold (Dokis First Nation), a Peace and Conflict Studies student at Waterloo, created a large red dress using beads in varying shapes and textures.
For Shay, art is a bridge – one that can lead to healing, understanding and learning. It also serves as a conversation starter, helping people engage with difficult topics as they uncover layers of symbolism.
The dress is made from approximately 4,000 discarded beads collected from antique malls and thrift stores, highlighting the beauty in what is often seen as disposable. The number represents the estimated 4,000 cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in Canada, as reported by the Native Women’s Association of Canada. Even the background is telling a story: a black garbage bag serves as a reminder of the role landfills and dumps have played in too many cases and the resulting Search the Landfill movement.
While we shouldn’t look away from this brutality, Shay intentionally included elements of softness and care. Among the beads, she found a handful shaped like strawberries. In Anishinaabe culture, strawberries, often called heart berries, symbolize women. Though not entirely red, they became an essential part of the piece: a quiet nod to survivors and resilience.
Bead artist Shay Harold with Kevin George, Associate Director, Indigenous Initiatives, University of Waterloo Libraries
During the building of the Red Dress, I felt waves of sorrow, anger, confusion, frustration and the biggest of all, grief. I mourned each bead. Not only was I processing my own emotions but it felt as if each bead was a spirit that I connected with for a short moment.
Now on display at Dana Porter Library
Shay’s red dress is now on display on the main floor of the Dana Porter Library, near the First Nations, Métis and Inuit book display, past the IST Help Desk. We encourage everyone to stop by to view the installation and learn more about the Calls for Justice outlined in the Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.