Portraits in Red: Laurie Mercier speaks with Indigenous artist Nayana LaFond, whose current exhibit, Portraits in Red: Missing & Murdered Indigenous People Painting Project, is showing through May 7 at the Pacific Maritime Heritage Center in Newport, Oregon. LaFond discusses the lack of attention to the thousands of missing and murdered Indigenous people who have been silenced by the unusually high rate of violence and low rate of effort to solve past crimes and prevent future ones. LaFond will be speaking at Washington State University Vancouver, 3 – 4:15 p.m. Tuesday March 21, in the Multimedia Classroom Building, Room 16.
Native Americans and Alaska Natives can find culturally-specifi resources for domestic and sexual violence at StrongHeartsHelpline.org.
“…This project is a labor of love. It has found me and inspired a mission of raising awareness and honoring the memory of those lost. I hope it helps those still here heal, even if only a very small amount. Perhaps it will help someone still suffering gain the courage to get help. You are not alone, you are not without hope, we are your sisters and we are here beside you.”—Nayana LaFond
Photo by Lorie Shaull and licensed under Creative Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_participant_in_the_Greater_Than_Fear_Rally_%26_March_in_Rochester_Minnesota._The_rally_%26_march_were_held_in_response_to_President_Trump%27s_Rally_at_the_Mayo_Civic_Center_in_downtown_Rochester._%2831234348878%29.jpg
- KBOO