Indigenous Arts & Stories - Hope

An epidemic hidden amidst the whirlwind of news outlets and uninformed consumers of media conceals a dirty secret. Our women are vanishing and no one is taking notice. The Indigenous community is suffering from a plague that is affecting thousands of Aboriginal girls and women across Canada each year. The homicide rate remains significantly higher for those of an Indigenous background than all other women in Canada. The voice of our people has always been rooted in our artwork and remains as a fundamental influence to reflect our stories. Newspaper clippings are scattered across the background as a reminder of the violence inflicted upon the Indigenous communities and what may be left forgotten. The girl in this piece is not chosen at random either. This portrait of my cousin is a sharp reminder that the struggle of murdered and missing Aboriginal women is not a distant conflict, but rather a battle that hits close to home. My cousin is a symbol of hope for the past, present and the future of Indigenous women. In times of struggle, we have proven to remain whole and create a network of support for one another. We are not forgotten and we are not broken. We are the sheer representation of hope.