The Ones Who Were Silenced Still Walk With Us

2023

This piece honours the lives of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit people—those taken, ignored, and too often reduced to statistics instead of relatives.

The deer stands at the centre as a sacred witness. In many Indigenous teachings, the deer represents gentleness, intuition, protection, and the quiet strength to survive. Here, the deer carries grief without aggression, reminding us that Indigenous women are not weak for being gentle—they are powerful for enduring. The antlers rise like prayers, reaching upward for justice that has long been denied.

Surrounding the deer are Métis-inspired florals and beadwork, symbols of lineage, beauty, and continuity. The red handprints mark the truth Canada has tried to look away from: lives taken, voices silenced, families left searching. They are not decorative—they are declarations. They say “We are still here. We are still waiting. We are still demanding change.”

This artwork is a call to action.
To listen when Indigenous families speak.
To protect Indigenous women and Two-Spirit people before violence occurs—not memorialize them after.
To challenge systems that dismiss disappearances, delay investigations, and normalize injustice.

This piece asks the viewer not only to feel—but to act.
Justice is not symbolic.
Remembrance is not enough.
Safety, accountability, and truth are required.

Until every Indigenous life is valued, this deer will continue to stand watch.