united state of women

Red dresses are the powerful symbol of MMIWG - Missing and Murdered Native Women and Girls. May 5 is National Day of Awareness for MMIWG. It highlights the statistics around violence amongst women and girls - showcasing native art, expression, resistance, and grievance.

The REDress Campaign

Why red? "[Red] is the color of lifeblood—it connects all of us and it is sacred but it is also an allusion to what is happening to our women.”

The REDress Project

The artist Jamie Black hopes that everyone can bring their own meaning to the color. “Different cultures all around the world have different spiritual meanings for the color red, and I want people to bring that to the dresses."

The REDress Project, Jamie Black

We are demanding more effort from decision-makers and law enforcement. The report that the Washington State Patrol released (Missing and Murdered Native American Women Report) in June 2019 is not a proper resource and does nothing to address the missing and murdered indigenous women and girls (MMIWG) crisis in Washington State. In fact, it causes harm to the community (Second Report).

The intersection of gender-based violence and MMIWG is heavily intertwined.

Locally, community searches and actions, tribal press conferences, justice marches continue to draw attention and urgency to the MMIWG crisis, reflecting the long-standing call in holding governments publicly accountable for the perpetrators allowed to prey on Native women and girls with impunity.

Danusha Laméris, "Bonfire Opera"

These Indigenous-led, grassroots efforts are exposing systemic barriers through federal and local legislation that mandates the attention to the federal trust responsibility and the equitable response of governments in consultation with tribes to address the MMIWG crisis.

The voices of families, advocates, and Indigenous nations will not be silenced. Join up and take action!