D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai made a powerful statement at the 2024 Emmy Awards. The 22-year-old Oji-Cree First Nations actor, known for his role as Bear in FX's Reservation Dogs, became the first Indigenous actor to receive an Emmy nomination for a lead role, as reported by Variety.
On the red carpet, D'Pharaoh wore a red handprint over his mouth. This symbol represents the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women movement (MMIW), which raises awareness for Native women who have gone missing or been killed, often with little media attention or justice.
The U.S. Department of the Interior has a section dedicated specifically to this issue.
"Native American and Alaska Native rates of murder, rape, and violent crime are all higher than the national averages. When looking at missing and murdered cases, data shows that Native American and Alaska Native women make up a significant portion of missing and murdered individuals."
D'Pharaoh dedicated his gesture to those affected, saying on Instagram, “I did this for those who ain’t here.”
Woon-A-Tai was able to draw attention to the issue without saying a thing, other than explaining why he had a red handprint on his mouth. It ensured that he was asked, over and over again, and that he was then able to discuss the important reason behind his gesture.
People were moved by his solidarity.
Proving that it was effective, people talked about how they learned of the movement from Woon-A-Tai's appearance at the Emmy's.
Folks were quick to shut down any ignorance on display in the comments.
So much respect for Woon-A-Tai for doing this.
Maybe other people will be interested in the show Reservation Dogs after this moment.
Reservation Dogs is available for streaming on Hulu right now.
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