To Call Attention To The Missing And Murdered Indigenous Women Epidemic, Auli'i Cravalho Wore A Red Handprint On Her Mouth To A TV Show Premiere
By now, you've undoubtedly heard about the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women (often abbreviated as MMIW) across the Americas.
According to the National Crime Information Center, there were 5,295 reports of missing Native American women and girls in 2020 alone.
In Canada, a 2016 estimate suggested 4,000 Indigenous women and girls have gone missing or been murdered in the past 30 years — though the number has risen since then. A 2019 report stated that Indigenous women and girls are 12 times more likely to be murdered or go missing than any other demographic.
In Latin America, femicide disproportionately affects Indigenous women. It is estimated that Indigenous women represent 70% of trafficking victims in Mexico.
Recently, Auli'i Cravalho took the opportunity to raise awareness of these issues at the premiere of an upcoming show, The Power.
The Moana actor attended the event with a red hand painted over her mouth. According to Native Hope, this "has become the symbol of a growing movement, the MMIW movement. It stands for all the missing sisters whose voices are not heard. It stands for the silence of the media and law enforcement in the midst of this crisis. It stands for the oppression and subjugation of Native women who are now rising up to say #NoMoreStolenSisters."
On the red carpet, Auli'i told Good Morning America that shooting for The Power took place in Vancouver, where she saw many monuments dedicated to the missing and murdered Indigenous women. "It is incredibly frustrating that there are not enough cases that are actually followed up with, and it points to police and how they are not using their funds correctly," she said.
Today, Auli'i wrote on Instagram, "Extremely proud to have been able to bring light to #NoMoreStolenSisters at #ThePower premiere ????. Originating in Canada (though relevant in other countries), the movement calls attention to the disproportionate number of Native American women who are victims of murder, rape, kidnapping, and abuse. (#MMIW)."
"Working on @ThePowerOnPrime – with its empowering themes of women coming into their power, reclaiming agency over women’s bodies, and the allies who encourage necessary change – I felt a responsibility to ground our work out of the sci-fi realm, and back into the real world. I am humbled and deeply grateful to the many outlets who continue to share this message??????."
