HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Edited by Jaime Black-Morsette (Metis)
Published by Portage and Main Press
Have you seen social media images of Native women with red handprints on their faces? Do you know the symbolism?
The red handprint is a symbol of protest against violence against Native women and girls. Its meaning expanded to include violence against LGBTQ+ and Two-Spirit Native people. For decades, Native communities in the US and Canada have tried to call attention to the fact that significant numbers of Native women, girls, and LGBTQ+ people have been disappearing, or been killed, while law enforcement shows little interest in finding perpetrators. In one recent case that made some headlines, families of two missing First Nations women wanted authorities to search a Canadian landfill where they were certain their missing loved ones had been hidden. Officials insisted that would be too expensive. The families prevailed and the missing women's remains were found. Serial killers and sex traffickers can flourish when law enforcement behaves as if Indigenous victims don't warrant full investigations. The red handprint is one of several symbols of insistence on justice for MMIWG2S.
This is a short-and-sweet review of a 2025 anthology focused on another approach to honoring and raising awareness of the murdered and missing: Jaime Black-Morsette's REDress: Art, Action, and the Power of Presence.
Here's a description from the publisher:
In 2010, Métis artist Jaime Black-Morsette created the REDress Project—an art installation consisting of placing red dresses in public spaces as a call for justice for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit people (MMIWG2S). Symbolizing both absence and presence, the red dresses ignite a reclamation of voice and place for MMIWG2S. Fifteen years later, the symbol of the empty red dress endures as families continue to call for action.
In this anthology, Jaime Black-Morsette shares her own intimate stories and memories of the REDress Project along with the voices of Indigenous women, Elders, grassroots community activists, artists, academics, and family members affected by this tragedy. Together they use the power of their collective voice to not only call for justice for MMIWG2S, but honour Indigenous women as keepers and protectors of land, culture, and community across Turtle Island.
And here are four reasons we recommend REDress.
Reason #1: It sheds needed light on the phenomenon of murdered and missing Indigenous people, and on the experience of the people and communities affected by those losses.
Reason #2: It combines visual and verbal images to powerful effect. It's a sobering book, a beautiful, powerful, reverent tribute to Indigenous victims of violence, for (and from) those who are left without them. And take a look at that cover! Wow!
Reason #3: It's a collection of voices. Essays, poetry, photos, and commentary by more than a dozen Indigenous creators address loss, violence, healing, and the roles art and performance can play on the path toward justice.
Reason #4: The publisher provides a free teaching guide e-book. Discussing the murdered and missing requires preparation and sensitivity. The teaching guide offers structure and suggestions for conversations about the book and the topic.
Reading and discussing REDress can be a powerful experience for older teens and adults. We urge librarians, high school teachers, and arts educators to order multiple copies and share them widely.
