Remembering Missing and Murdered Indigenous People

Introduction

On May 5, people in Canada and the USA remember Indigenous women and girls who are missing or dead.

Main Body

An artist named Jaime Black-Morsette started the REDress Project. She put red dresses in public places. Now, people walk in marches and hold meetings to remember the victims. Many Indigenous women are killed. In Canada, the number of murders is very high for Indigenous women. Police do not always help these families as much as other people. In the USA, Native Americans face more violent crime. The government made new laws in 2020, but they do not work well. Some leaders want more money for local tribal police. Canada has a list of 231 things to fix. The government only fixed two of them. People want a new alert system to find missing people faster.

Conclusion

People are fighting for change, but the governments in Canada and the USA are moving very slowly.

Learning

💡 The Power of 'S' (Present Simple)

Look at how we talk about things that are happening now or are generally true. When we talk about one person or one thing, we add an -s to the action word.

Examples from the text:

  • An artist \rightarrow starts
  • The government \rightarrow makes / fixes

Compare this to many people:

  • People \rightarrow walk (No -s!)
  • Police \rightarrow do (No -s!)

🛠️ Useful Word Pairings

To sound more natural at an A2 level, learn words that often go together (Collocations):

ActionObjectMeaning
HoldmeetingsTo organize a group talk
FixthingsTo make a problem better
FacecrimeTo experience something bad

🔍 Quick Tip: 'Many' vs 'Much'

  • Many \rightarrow Use for things you can count (Many women, many laws).
  • Much \rightarrow Use for things you cannot count (Much money, much help).

Vocabulary Learning

remember
to think about again
Example:I remember my first day at school.
missing
not found or lost
Example:The missing cat was found in the garden.
murdered
killed illegally
Example:The murdered man was found in the park.
Indigenous
native to a place
Example:Indigenous cultures have rich traditions.
women
adult female humans
Example:Many women work in hospitals.
girls
young female children
Example:The girls played in the park.
red
color like blood
Example:She wore a red dress.
public
open for everyone
Example:Public schools are free.
march
a long walk for a cause
Example:They joined a march for peace.
police
law enforcement officers
Example:The police helped the family.
crime
illegal act
Example:Crime rates are high.
government
the governing body
Example:The government passed new laws.
law
a rule set by authority
Example:The law protects citizens.
leader
person in charge
Example:The leader spoke to the crowd.
money
currency used for buying
Example:He saved money for a trip.
local
nearby, in the area
Example:Local shops are open.
tribal
relating to a tribe
Example:Tribal customs are unique.
alert
watchful, ready
Example:Be alert when crossing the street.
system
an organized set
Example:The system works well.
find
to locate
Example:I will find my keys.
faster
more quickly
Example:Run faster to catch the bus.
change
a difference or new state
Example:The change was noticeable.
move
to go from one place to another
Example:Move the chair.