On 5 May 2025 CFB Borden’s Defence Indigenous Advisory Group (DIAG) hosted a flag raising ceremony and sacred fire to honour the lives of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirited people (MMIWG2S+) for Red Dress Day–an awareness day that utilizes the symbolic red dress to represent the voices of women who are victims of this crisis.
For the first time, a sacred fire was hosted near building O-162 by the WWI training trenches where participants of all religion, creed, rank and background could step inside and openly ask questions to the official Firekeeper, Warrant Officer Ghislain Cotton of the Canadian Forces Training and Development Centre (CFTDC).
“The sacred fire is a gateway to our ancestors,” WO Cotton explained to the CFB Borden Command Team. “You enter the space counterclockwise, then grab some tobacco [in your left hand] and put your thoughts, prayers and desires into it. The sage and cedar are what we’ll smudge with to signal the end of your ‘statement’.”
The fire was small and tidy, with a piece of stone from the Canadian Shield pointed north and a copper penny set atop one of the firepit stones.
Base Commander Colonel Ramessar and Formation Chief Warrant Officer Peters sat within the sacred fire which sparked discussions of the systemic barriers and historical realities of Indigenous people in Canada that are still prevalent today, including the tragedies of MMIWG2S+.
At the flag raising earlier that same morning, Corporal Gallagher performed the smudging ceremony for all in attendance and he reflected on Red Dress Day by highlighting the key aspects of fatherhood in Indigenous communities.
“For those of us [Indigenous fathers] who had daughters first, there is a saying that states: ‘He is a real man’,” Cpl Gallagher said. “As providers in our communities, it is our job to raise women up… The only woman I love who hasn’t experienced some form of abuse or victimization is my six-year-old daughter.”
Col Ramessar echoed two main points at the flag raising, reiterating that these crises are not just an Indigenous issue, but a collective one.
“The disproportionate violence that Indigenous women, girls and two-spirited people face is everybody’s issue,” Col Ramessar said. “We all hold a responsibility to protect and uplift them.”
The day’s events had a unifying effect, sparking key conversations, encouraging education, allyship, and bravery in shared spaces from CAF members with heritage from all corners of the globe.
To learn more about becoming a member of the DIAG and an ally, everyone is encouraged to attend meetings and events, ask questions and continue learning about truth and reconciliation. Email susan.shepley@forces.gc.ca or jimmey.talbot@forces.gc.ca for more info!
