Missing & murdered Native American women--

Mendocino Art Center’s exhibit highlights indigenous women’s struggle

Local News - The Mendocino Beacon

Mendocino Art Center’s exhibit highlights indigenous women’s struggle

UPDATED: November 14, 2024 at 1:56 PM PST Copyright © 2024 MediaNews Group

By Mary Rose Kaczorowski

In the heart of the Pomo Nation, tribal native arts and culture play a significant part in the resilience and empowerment of their communities. Mendocino Art Center (MAC), in partnership with several foundations and local community organizations, has collaborated to honor the traditional cultural landscape and lifeways of the Pomo people by merging their visual voices within the framework of contemporary art.

Curated by artist Linda Lawson in collaboration with the Point Arena-based Action Network and the MAC,  the “Indigenous Women are Sacred” art installation exhibit opened last month at the MAC’s main gallery and draws attention to the plight of missing and murdered Indigenous women across Indian Country.

According to Lawson, “This is about the disproportionately high rates of disappearances and murders of women and girls, and honoring, their lives and allow their voices to be heard.”

MAC Executive Director Dav Bell explained, “As an arts organizer and curator I believe in creating more diverse and supportive spaces where artists and communities can use their own voices. Thaïs Mazur, executive director of Action Network in Point Arena, and I talked about doing a collaborative project, an exhibition.”

Read more — listen to the audio at :

https://www.mendocinobeacon.com/2024/11/14/mendocino-art-centers-exhibit-highlights-indigenous-womens-struggle/

Linda Lawson, Artist and Curator at the  opening of “Indigenous Women are Sacred”- Photo by: Eric Ringal

Responding to the Crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women

https://www.niwrc.org/sites/default/files/images/resource/mmiw_pocket_https://www.niwrc.org/sites/default/files/images/resource/mmiw_pocket_guide_new.pdfguide_new.pdf

Missing or Murdered Indigenous Women: New Efforts Are Underway but Opportunities Exist to Improve the Federal Response

https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-22-104045

Interior and Justice Departments Outline Commitment, Next Steps in Effort to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples and Human Trafficking Crisis

https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/interior-and-justice-departments-outline-commitment-next-steps-effort-address-missing

The National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center, Inc. (NIWRC)Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives (MMIWR)

https://www.niwrc.org/policy-center/mmiwr