WE WILL DANCE - POSTER FOR CANADA'S MISSING + MURDERED INDIGENOUS WOMEN
The national issue of violence against Indigenous people is a direct result of centuries of genocide and forced enrolment in residential schools at the hands of the Catholic Church and Canada. This violence affects women, girls, and Two-Spirit people at a much higher rate.
PROJECT
For this project, we were to choose a social issue that resonates with us and that can be represented by a group or organization. A visual element, as well as a tagline or informational text to accompany it, was developed.
PROCESS + APPROACH
Using photos of missing women and girls from a list of cases listed by various databases, outlines of their faces were used to create cutouts on a backdrop of handwritten names. The cutouts reveal an image of the sky, giving this heavy subject an element of hope and creation. The name of each woman whose photo is used is written on the list of names. The quote 'We will dance until they are all home,' comes from the poem 'Washing the World' by New Brunswick poet and performer Anna Marie Sewell, who is of Mi’qmaq, Anishinaabe, and Polish heritage.
OUTCOME
The resulting poster is visually and conceptually powerful. The handmade approach was evident, and it was emotional to be able to create a piece like this.