"Her Untold Story"

 

Canada has an alarmingly high number of Indigenous women and girls who are murdered and go missing. Their disappearances do not make headlines, so their stories often go untold. May 5 marks Red Dress Day, a day dedicated to honouring the lives of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit People (MMIWG2S). Reminding the world that their lives and stories matter. 

It is my hope that this art installation will start a conversation about the importance of Red Dress Day as well as the severity of MMIWG2S. As a woman of colour, settler in Canada, and an artist, my objective is to use my platform with this installation to shed light on those untold stories.

The Art 

My goal was to communicate the pain and mystery surrounding MMIWG2S. A tearful woman's face is the focal point of the installation, done in a grey scale colour pallet giving the mural a somber tone. Framing the mural is red fabric bearing the names of  MMIWG2S. The fabric represents Red Dress Day and the stories behind all of those names. 

Resources

Please take the time to educate yourself on the Red Dress Movement. 
 
MMIWG2S: The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Girls and Two-Spirit People human-rights crisis
Purpose: To increase awareness of disproportionate violence experienced by Indigenous Canadian and Native American women
https://www.jaimeblackartist.com/exhibitions/

Métis artist Jaime Black who helped inspire the red dress movement. Her RED dress art installation evolved into the annual Red Dress Day and sparked a grassroots movement across North America. On May 5th people hang red dresses in private and public spaces to remember missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls and in solidarity with family members and loved ones.