Group of women participate in REDress project, highlights missing Indigenous women

BONNERS FERRY — A group of women came together to bring awareness to the many missing Indigenous women by participating in the REDress project. You may have noticed the photos circulating on social media of red dresses.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, homicide is the third leading cause of death for Indigenous women 19 and younger. As of 2016, the National Crime Information Center has reported 5,712 cases of missing American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls.

Even with the alarming statistics of missing and murdered Indigenous women, there has been limited coverage in the media, according to the Urban Indian Health Institute.

The lack of coverage, data and growing missing Indigenous women has led many to find creative and constructive solutions to highlight these forgotten women. One major movement happening currently on social media is the “#MMIW” which aims to bring awareness to the missing Indigenous women.

The REDress project, created by Jaime Black, an Indigenous woman, began an art installation at the University of Winnipeg that included a series of empty red dresses to honor and symbolize the lost lives of Indigenous women at the hands of violence.

The movement has garnered support from many native communities and allies with individuals creating imagery to honor those missing women. Katie Cerny-Blood is one of those women who was inspired to help bring awareness of these movements to Boundary County.

“I actually got the idea while watching the television show ‘Yellowstone’,” Blood said. “It may be a television show but this is very real.”

The show features an episode titled “All or Nothing” which focuses on a missing girl on the reservation sparking a massive search, which results in finding the young girl dead.

Blood, who has pursued photography for more than a year, began doing more research on the harrowing statistics and discovered the REDress project on Facebook and dove deeper into the movement.

“The REDress project is a project that uses a red dress to symbolize each missing woman,” Blood said.

Blood immediately began planning a photo shoot to honor those victims. After reaching out to friends, she quickly received support and volunteers from many at the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho reservation in town and from many others.

“Almost all the responses have been positive so far,” an enthusiastic Blood said.

According to Blood, the hope is to get people informed and willing to help the cause, even if it's just sharing the pictures.

“The more people that see them and the more people that ask about it means more people are getting educated on the subject,” Blood said.

Blood conducted her photo shoot at the Myrtle Falls Trail next to the Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge, with four women — Natalie Adams, Emily Adams, Charlene Francis and Aleksandra Lowley — from the reservation wearing red. The images also feature five red dresses to honor those missing Indigenous women.

Lowley, pictured in the photo shoot, said she got involved because she wanted to bring awareness to a movement that many people haven’t paid attention to or don’t even know about.

“I felt taking the photos would be good to show that people as young as we understand the seriousness of the movement,” Lowley said. “All to show that the Kootenai Tribe knows what’s happening all over the country and is raising awareness in hopes of more people joining the movement to help search for all those missing.”

To Lowley, the missing and murdered women are not nameless victims. They’re someone’s child, wife, sister and mother. If a member of your family went missing, you would attempt to do everything you can to bring awareness and have your family home, she said.

“You would be raising awareness and doing whatever you could to find them and bring them home and that’s what we're doing with this movement,” Lowley said. “Trying to raise awareness and hopefully bring them home, where they belong.”

Francis, pictured in the photoshoot said, there is a post about Indigenous women or children being abducted and killed every day. Yet, nothing is ever done about the cases.

“And nothing is done about it, most cases are swept under the rug,” Francis said. “You would think it’s not too common, it’s pretty sad to have your friends and or family being taken away from you.”

Francis said on Jan. 1, 2020, her friend went missing for 20 days with everyone searching for her, and when they found her in sagebrush, they questioned the last people she was seen with and concluded no foul play was involved.

“We say no more stolen sisters because in a way we are all related, she was someone’s sister someone’s mom or friend maybe a grandma,” Francis said.

Like many, Francis hopes the photoshoot brings greater attention to the many Indigenous women who go missing and understands that all women face potential dangers.

“I just want more people to spread awareness and for all women to be aware of their surroundings at all times. We women have a target on our back and need to watch out for each other.”

Blood received five donated dresses and received help from her husband, Chris Blood and friends. Her hope is people are made aware of the Indigenous women and children who need help.

“They needed people looking for them, missing posters shared and as many prayers as they can get that their family is returned to them alive,” Blood said.