#MMIWG2S

(Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2-Spirit People) No one knows exactly how many Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people have experienced violence, gone missing, or been murdered in the US and Canada. In some areas, the murder rate is as high as 10x the national average, and murder is the third leading cause of death. 87% of Indigenous women will experience violence in their lifetime and 97% of the time these acts of violence are perpetrated by non native people. The violence is part of longstanding colonial policies and racism. It is a human rights crisis and a national tragedy. In order to stop this victimization, the world must be educated. Then, prevention can begin. This is why I created this portrait in the fall of 2020. The red hand is a symbol representing the MMIWG2S (Missing and Murdered Women, Girls and 2-Spirit People) movement. It symbolizes the silencing of the victims and the lack of interest by the media and society. It has been said by Indigenous people that red is a color that transcends the physical world and calls to the ancestors in the spirit world. Today, the role of red is being used to call attention to the invisible – missing and murdered. The women in the background of the portrait are MMIWG2S. This photograph represented Team Canada in the 2022 World Photographic Cup, won Best Portrait in the 2021 Professional Photographers of Canada Image Competition, and won a Silver in the WPE International Photography Awards. Where will your money be going: 50% of my profit from this sale will be donated to Gignoo Transition House, an Indigenous Women's Support Center in Fredericton, NB, Canada. 15% of my profit will go to the Indigenous model, Neba. Because Canada has not yet updated charitable giving rules to treat cryptocurrency donations equivalent to charitable gifts, the remaining percentage will need to go towards covering sales and business tax expenses. It is my intention not to profit from the sale of this image.