MMIW — what does it mean? It originally meant Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. Over the years, G2SP have been added to the four letters because Indigenous girls, two-spirit and men (P) have also gone missing or been murdered.
Statistically, out of all the racial groups, Indigenous people hold the highest ratings of missing and/or murdered. Hence the need for a strong movement such as this.
I have incorporated symbols on my makeup brushes that MMIW has adopted over the years to recognize the cause. The red handprint represents the murderer’s bloody handprint from their misdoings. The letters spelling out MMIW are beaded on the eyeshadow brush. The final design, the spoolie, is beaded in a red jingle dress design. This is the latest symbol adopted by the MMIW Movement. In powwows, the jingle dress is worn for healing — a process deeply needed by the victims’ friends and families.
Even though Indigenous people use May 5, to honour and recognize our missing and murdered relatives, this date is not limited to natives only. Anyone can show their support, either by showing up at a rally or event, wearing a ribbon skirt or donating to a MMIW society.