- John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center
- Bardo Blog
- We Will Not be Silenced: Standing for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women
We Will Not be Silenced: Standing for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women
EXHIBITION: August 16 - December 9, 2022
RECEPTION: Wednesday, November 2, 2022, from 5-7pm
Take a Virtual 360° Tour | WCU Community Standards & Visiting Guidelines
Ashley Tyler Evans, Mothering a Movement, 2022, photograph, 45 x 30 inches.
We Will Not be Silenced: Standing for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women August 16 - December 9
On March 3, 2022, a group of Indigenous women gathered at Kituwah Mound, the site of an important Cherokee mother town, to bring awareness to the violence affecting the sisters, mothers, daughters, and grandmothers of Indigenous communities across the continent. Joined by two photographers, Dylan Rose (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians) and Ashley Evans (Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina), these Indigenous women posed for portraits, set against the backdrop of the mountains, to advocate for justice. Each woman bore the red handprint of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women(MMIW) movement, a symbol that acknowledges the astonishingly high rate of violence directed at Indigenous women in both the United States and Canada.
Dylan Rose, Strong and Resilient, 2022, Kituwah Mound, photograph, 60 x 40 inches.
This exhibition includes a series of photographs and sculptures that bring voice to the international Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) movement through the lens of Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Comanche Nation, Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, and Métis Nation artists.
Sky Sampson, the Director of the WCU Cherokee Center and organizer of this project explains, “The red handprint upon our faces represents the hand that was once there to silence us. We have removed that hand and are moving forward with our voices. We need people to listen and share the names of these women across the country. We need your help to make a change and to raise awareness. Help us take action today.”
Ashley Evans
Dylan Rose
Moe Hernandez
R.A. Johnson
ᏥᏳ Chi Myriah Shipman
Jamie Black
There are over 550 federally recognized tribes in the United States, which make up approximately 5.2 million people. According to the National Institute of Justice, 84% of Indigenous women have experienced violence in their lifetime—more than 1.5 million individuals. These women are often targeted by sex traffickers and other predators, and face murder rates in certain areas that are ten times the national average. The majority of these violent crimes are committed by non-Indigenous perpetrators. Instances of missing and murdered Indigenous women often go unreported and untracked. Although exact totals are still being calculated, the National Crime Information Center reported over 5,000 missing Indigenous women in 2016 and the Sovereign Bodies Institute recorded over 1,870 MMIW in 2019. Too little is being done to ensure that these families receive justice.
If you would like to listen to a local podcast on this subject, check out We Are Resilient: A MMIW True Crime Podcast on your preferred listening platform. The podcast is hosted by local Eastern Band Cherokee Indian women as they work to tell the stories of their Missing & Murdered Indigenous sisters. Visit their website to learn more about the podcast.
Find out more information about the MMIW movement or donate towards the cause by visiting the following organizations: MMIW USA, Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women, National Indigenous Women's Resource Center, and Sovereign Bodies Institute.
Reception Details
Reception for the exhibition will be held on Wednesday, November 2, 2022, from 5-7PM.
Light refreshments and drinks will be served at BAC's Star Atrium.
Museum Hours
The WCU Fine Art Museum exhibitions and events are free and open to the public. Standard
Museum hours are Tuesday through Friday, 10AM-4PM, and Thursday, 10AM-7PM. If you
have any questions, please call (828)227-ARTS.
Photo courtesy of We Are Resilient: A MMIW True Crime Podcast
Live Recording of podcast episode for "We Are Resilient: A MMMIW True Crime Podcast"
EVENT DATE: Wednesday, November 2, 2022, from 4-5pm
LOCATION: WCU Fine Art Museum
Join us an hour before the reception for a LIVE recording of a podcast episode from the hosts of “We Are Resilient: A MMIW True Crime Podcast.” The podcast episode will create an opportunity for WCU students, staff, faculty, and our local community to listen and learn about the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women movement and how to create awareness and action around the movement.
If you would like to listen to a local podcast on this subject, check out We Are Resilient: A MMIW True Crime Podcast on your preferred listening platform. The podcast is hosted by local Eastern Band Cherokee Indian women as they work to tell the stories of their Missing & Murdered Indigenous sisters. Visit their website to learn more about the podcast.
This event will be held inside the WCU Fine Art Museum gallery featuring We Will Not Be Silenced: Standing for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women.
Please ensure you arrive before 4pm as the Museum doors will close for the podcast recording.
Plan Your Visit | Return to the main exhibition page | Return to the main WCU Fine Art Museum homepage
BAC Hours
- Box Office: Tuesday - Friday 10am - 4pm and Thursday 10am - 7pm
- WCU Fine Art Museum and FAM Shop: Tuesday - Friday 10am - 4pm and Thursday 10am - 7pm
Related Links
