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Gone but not forgotten. Lost but not in hope-Martina Hunter

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Gone but not forgotten. Lost but not in hope-Martina Hunter

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The Disappearance and murder of Indigenous women is a crisis that caused a deep rooted pain in Indigenous communities'. They were mothers, daughters, grandmothers, mentors and aunts. Many cases were unsolved. Experiencing a loved one disappear, not knowing what happened to them and feeling helpless with their case is a trauma that many Indigenous families struggle to heal from. The art healing project that Metis artist Christi Belcourt created in efforts to keep the memory alive and help the families of the victims, has made a major contribution to raising awareness to the issue. Art is a form of expression. It helps you convey feelings and emotions you cannot express in words. Each person who created an art piece in this project put their love and care into every stich on every pair of hands. The art work really symbolizes the resilience of the Indigenous community and the lives of those who weren't counted or unfound. Those who lost their lives throughout history. The Indigenous community found strength through decades of endurance of, cruelty, discrimination, violation of basic human rights and the taking of their home. They persevered and become stronger in community. Through artistic expression, individuals within the community can convey the impact of trauma and abuse. Art can be a medium through which collective pain is acknowledged, shared, and transformed into a testament of resilience. Art is very important to Indigenous communities which is why it can contribute to the healing of the community.

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The video "Walking with our sisters" is an art form that ultimately represents cry for justice and awareness. It also represents the Indigenous communitiy's unwavering togetherness and resiliency. It is truly disheartning to see the amount of Indigenous women being murdered or going missing without receiving justice. The government of Canada should definitely work on this issue to prevent these crimes from taking place. Violence and injustice has been a recurring theme that the Indigenous community has been going against since the settlers came to this land. Enough is enough

-Gabriel Lucas

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Addressing Indigenous Women's Critical Need for Justice and Protection: An Appeal for Action

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Addressing Indigenous Women's Critical Need for Justice and Protection: An Appeal for Action

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Witnessing the awful neglect of Indigenous women, who frequently suffer from violent crimes like rape and murder, is extremely upsetting. Sadly, many of these instances remain unsolved, and several women are reported missing. It is essential to take immediate action to stop these heinous behaviours. The government has to take ownership of the issue and acknowledge its obligation to safeguard the safety and dignity of Native Americans. To improve the safety and well-being of Native American women, comprehensive policies and laws have to be put into place. - Pragya Randhawa

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A group piece of art called "Walking with Our Sisters" pays tribute to Indigenous women who have been murdered and gone missing. I see that artwork's collective aspect stands for harmony, sadness shared by all, and the strength of group effort.

Seeing how poorly Indigenous women are treated was depressing. They endure a horrible fate because they are mercilessly murdered and raped frequently. Like these vamps, these women's lives were cut short and left incomplete. That, in my opinion, represents the lack of boundaries and respect shown to these people. I really think that it's clear to understand how violence is destructive;  "walking with our sisters" is a healing that helps by giving expression to stories that have been suppressed.

By: Ronalyn Bulangcao

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The mistreatment of Native American women is incredibly depressing. They have a terrible fate because they are brutally murdered and raped often. They even vanish, and most of their cases are still open. It is important to take action to put an end to these behaviors. The government ought to take accountability and believe that it is their duty to protect the dignity of and provide security for the Indigenous people. Laws and other measures should be implemented to guarantee the safety of Native American women.

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The video “Walking With Our Sisters” displays one of the most powerful representations of missing and murdered Indigenous women. The memorial is a commemoration, and ceremony to acknowledge their lives and value.  I felt the power in the message of the memorial, I am sure with knowledge and awareness everyone else would feel it too. There are so many vamps, each is like a representation of a missing or murdered Indigenous woman, child or 2SLGBTQQIA person. Each vamp feels so personal and unique to each person. I think the point of putting all of these vamps up was for representation, and then when they had so many come in, the memorial became so much more powerful. The carefully beaded vamps are a representation of those who would be wearing them but aren't. The symbolization and value of the art is to memorialize and commemorate those women in a poweful way.

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Nadia Myre's "Indian Act" and "Walking with Our Sisters" both use art to highlight issues facing Indigenous communities. The idea of "Walking with Our Sisters," represented by moccasin pairs, is one of community and sorrowful solidarity. This creative manifestation emphasizes the resiliency of creativity, much as Myre's beading over painful words. It's easy to see how violence is negative and art is constructive, with initiatives like "Walking with Our Sisters" acting as healing tools by giving voice to tales that have been silenced. These initiatives promote positive change by providing a way to heal, find hope, and highlight unity among Indigenous people facing significant problems through transformational art.

Daniella

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Art can contribute to healing in many ways. First off, I think any time when you look at art for the appropriate reasons, there is a calmness one achieves as I think sometimes ideas are too much to keep in ones thoughts with words. Receiving good news and news we didn't know about Indigenous women with pictures can simply help us heal the world. Like a bandage put on to help stop the bleeding instead of not putting anything on and making the cut a million time worse, I think art lies in the same concept.

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This is very much disheartening to see how badly indigenous women are treated. They suffer a terrible fate as they are frequently being raped and murdered brutally. They even go missing and majority of their cases remain unresolved. Initiatives should be taken to stop these practices. The government should become responsible and should feel that it is their duty to safeguard the honor and give security to the indigenous people. More actions and laws should be set to ensure the security of the indigenous women.

Muhammad Raiyan Rahman

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Pain Felt Through Art - Lysandra Mahendran

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Pain Felt Through Art - Lysandra Mahendran

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I believe this art symbolizes a heavy message that can only be acknowledged through awareness. I imagine someone walking into this room who has no context and background knowledge whatsoever; they might think it’s beautiful and possibly quite random. Now, I picture our class or the Indigenous community knowing what has happened and walking into the room. Just by watching the video, I felt my stomach sink. I think it symbolizes togetherness in the form of the shoes all being placed together and in paths; the way the Indigenous community is so close-knit and there for each other. It also symbolizes something unfinished; the lives of these women and girls were stopped short and unfinished like these vamps. I noticed a lot of red involved in the memorial too. I believe it also symbolizes the way that there was no respect or boundaries for these individuals. They were walked all over and taken advantage of. It paints a picture of how many lives were lost in the form of something we all take advantage of; we all have shoes that allow us to walk and travel wherever we want. However, that was stripped from these Indigenous women and girls.

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How can art contribute to the healing of a community? - Sharon Chavez

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How can art contribute to the healing of a community? - Sharon Chavez

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The video of the memorial for missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls shows an impressive amount of vamps, all showing unique art. It's clear that each person was able to pour their feelings on their artwork and I believe that the process of making the vamps is therapeutic in itself, as it can provide an outlet for emotions of grief and anger that Indigenous peoples may hold regarding this topic. As Christi Belcourt says in the video, some families may not want to think or talk about this at all because of the pain they feel, however this artwork may help them begin the process of grief. As spectators of this exhibition, the number of vamps being a reflection of people who have lost their lives or whose whereabouts are entirely unknown to their loved ones has a deep emotional impact. Personally, it's incredibly sad but also drives me to talk about this topic with more people and hopefully make change.