The names of Gabby Petito, Jamie Closs, Sarah Everard, and Lacey Peterson are publicized and all over the news. Why do we not hear the names Nevaeh Kingbird and Rose Downwind, who are among our missing Indigenous women? This project calls attention to these women and aims to educate the public about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. MMIW is a movement established to confront the racial hierarchy that was established after the patriarchal hierarchy that arrived with first contact in 1492. This MMIW campaign can be challenging when it comes to images. I always seek to portray Indigenous women as standing in power and being resilient. When I create images of women survivors, who have been affected by these traumatic experiences, I try to keep in mind that it has been the goal of colonization to erase the humanity of Indigenous women.
The invisibility of missing or murdered Indigenous women re-triggers negative effects on the families all over again. When you do not name missing women, the message is that these names are unimportant and go without recognition. Fear exists. The vast majority of the world looks at Indigenous women as less than human and less worthy of the full respect deserved. Ultimately, we are the object of male fantasies. The Nitaminikaazo Project challenges and these fantasies and replaces them with images of proud, defiant, organized, and determined women who are members of strong communities.
Negative propaganda about Indigenous women began as early as 1492. The earliest images of Indigenous women were from a time of genocide against the first peoples of this continent. When photography arrived in the 19th century, they were used as political weapons for assimilation. Boarding school photographs depicted Indigenous girls and youth in their traditional clothing alongside pictures of them in "western civilized” clothing. The message was that assimilation was consensual and desired.
During this era, wars were still being waged against Indigenous communities and included deadly massacres; such as the Sand Creek Massacre. Cheyenne women, children, and unarmed men were killed by being shot down and later mutilated. Pictures were taken of the massacre and the U.S. cavalry were hailed as heroes for committing hundreds of murders. White photographers did not portray Indigenous women as they were: strong and capable matriarchs. Imagery of Indigenous women fed into a mythology of the passive, exotic, savage. The chasm between the reality of Indigenous women’s lives and their objectification in historical pictures has only added to the dehumanization of Indigenous women found in the current Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women epidemic.
The purpose of the Nitaminikaazo Project is to affect positive change for the high risk population of Indigenous women through visual images. This project will build awareness with the goal of protecting underserved communities where women are often faced with historical trauma, racism, and sexual objectification. Ultimately, the hope is that this will lead to a decline in offenses against women.
