Two years ago, I discovered that artists and people who want to bring more exposure to the problem of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People (MMIWP) hang red dresses out in nature and along roads and highways to bring awareness to the problem.

Sharon Davis is one of the artists I contacted. Since seeing her display and learning about the MMIW through my research for the books I write, I have been purchasing red dresses from thrift stores to send to her. Because the clothing hangs in the outdoors they become ratty and weathered in no time. They have to replenish the dresses often.

You can find a write up about these projects at this blog- https://www.vogue.com/article/jaime-black-red-dress-project-missing-murdered-indigenous-women

Before when I’d travel around, I’d look for thrift stores to find baubles and glassware that I thought was a find. Now I go into the stores looking for red dresses that are less than $10. If they happen to be one of the special tagged reduced items for the day, that makes me even happier because I can purchase more dresses.

Here is a photo of my recent purchases. My friend who was with me also pitched in money to pay for our finds.

For those of you who may not know about MMIWP it is a movement to advocate against violence toward Native women. There is also violence against Indigenous children and men, but women and girls are the most affected.

While Native Women are only 2% of the U.S. population their murder rate is 10 times higher than the average woman.

The red hand over the mouth has become a symbol of the MMIW movement. It symbolizes the missing sisters who voices can no longer be heard. And stands for the silence of media and law enforcement. #NoMoreStolenSisters

Because of this movement the Indigenous people have been making headway in getting law enforcement entities to work together when a woman, child, or man goes missing or is murdered. They give support to the family members and help in the searches and making authorities see that the truth is found.

If you would like to help by sending dresses to Sharon Davis, contact me and I will send you her mailing address.

If you’d like to read my book that focuses on the problem, it is Stolen Butterfly.

Stolen Butterfly

Gabriel Hawke Novel #7

Missing or Murdered

When the local authorities tell State Trooper Gabriel Hawke’s mother to wait 72 hours before reporting a missing Umatilla woman, she calls her son and rallies members of the community to search.

Hawke arrives at the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation and learns the single mother of a boy his mom watches would never leave her son. Angered over how the local officials respond to his investigating, Hawke teams up with a security guard at the Indian casino and an FBI agent. Following the leads, they discover the woman was targeted by a human trafficking ring at the Spotted Pony Casino.

Hawke, Dela Alvaro, and FBI Special Agent Quinn Pierce join forces to bring the woman home and close down the trafficking operation before someone else goes missing.

You can find this book in ebook and audiobook at this universal link: https://books2read.com/u/baZEPq

If you would like an autographed print copy, you can purchase it through my website: https://www.patyjager.net/product-category/gabriel-hawke-series/

Top 2 photos source: Sharon Davis