TORONTO, March 6, 2018 – York University hosts special events throughout this week to mark the arrival of The REDress Project to its Keele and Glendon campuses, and to create an open discussion about the gendered and racialized nature of oppression of Indigenous peoples since colonization.
Led by Kanisha Brown-Bear of the Indigenous Students Association at Glendon, red dresses were collected as part of The REDress Project @YorkU 2018, and an art installation has been created by York community members.
Winnipeg-based Métis artist Jaime Black created The REDress Project in 2010 to draw attention to the more than 1000 unresolved cases of missing and murdered women, girls and two-spirited persons. Using donated red dresses, Black creates an installation art project that serves as a visual reminder of those unsolved cases.
On March 8, a pre-recorded keynote by Black will be presented prior to a panel discussion at the Keele campus. The panel will feature York University Professors Bonita Lawrence; Ruth Koleszar-Green, also the university’s special advisor to the president on Indigenous initiatives; and Nicole Penak; and Aboriginal Students Association Executive Member, Erin Goulais.
Anishinaabe Linguistics Professor Maya Chacaby will present a keynote at the Glendon campus on March 7. Jingle dance and drumming performances are among the many events organized on both the campuses, with the support of various units and departments across York University.
WHAT: The REDress Project @YorkU
WHO: York University Professors Bonita Lawrence, Ruth Koleszar-Green, also the university’s special advisor to the president on Indigenous initiatives; Maya Chacaby and Nicole Penak; Aboriginal Students Association Executive Member, Erin Goulais; jingle dancer Wenzdae Brewster and the drumming group Spirit Wind
WHEN: Various times and locations. Click here for times and locations.
WHERE: York University Keele Campus, Toronto (map) and Glendon Campus (map)
York University champions new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-disciplinary programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. York students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world’s most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. York U is an internationally recognized research university – our 11 faculties and 25 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, York is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 300,000 alumni. York U's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.
Media contact:
Gloria Suhasini, York University Media Relations, 416-736-2100 ext. 22094, suhasini@yorku.ca
