'I never, ever want anyone else to go through this': MMIWG remembered with red dresses

Christie Charles wants to see an end to violence against Indigenous women.

Charlessays she and her friends were subjected to it themselveswhen they were attacked on a Vancouver bus years ago.

The Musqueam woman was injured in that attack, which she says was carried out by non-Indigenous men.

Charlesstill has a metal plate in her chin. And she says the crime was never taken seriously.

"I was pushed aside. There was never a case. I had to write my own statement and bring it down to the police station rather than them coming to me and asking what happened to me," she said.

"It affected me. I never, ever want anyone else to go through this."

That's why Charles and several dozen other people came to Seaforth Peace Park in Vancouver's Kitsilano neighbourhood as part of the National Day of Action for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women on Wednesday.

To mark the day and honour the estimated 1,200 Indigenous women who have been murdered or gone missing in Canada over the decades an estimate some say is too low red dresses were draped on trees in the park.

It's part of what's called the Red Dress Project: started in 2011 by a Winnipeg artist to represent the women who are now lost by raising a red dress for each of them.

Charles brought her two young daughters to Wednesday's event at a site she says was home to the Musqueam summer village to help prepare them for when they "come into [their] power."

"It's very important for me to teach her about who she is," Charles said. "It's also just who we are as women of the land. It's to stand up and protect, and feed, and love, and nurture our people."

Charles says after Wednesday's event, she will be travelling the Highway of Tears, a place where many women have vanished over the years. She says she wants to pay her respects to women of that territory.

At Seaforth Peace Park, passersby paid their respects as well, silently reflecting amongst the swaying dresses.

• MMIWGnational inquiry team looking to hire strategic communications contractor
• Family, friends, loved ones gather to honourMMIWGacross Canada
• Families commemorate first officialMMIWGday in Manitoba

With files from Brenna Rose