Lorna Grammar and her granddaughter, Layla Verhage, printed red handprints on their faces May 5 to mark the annual Day of Recognition of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG). Hanging red dresses is also part of the day. A red handprint usually painted across the mouth, is a symbol that is used to indicate solidarity with MMIWG in North America, in recognition of the fact that Native American women are up to 10 times more likely to be murdered or sexually assaulted. Similar numbers exist in Canada. Athlete Jordan Marie Daniel, a competitive runner from the Kul Wicasa Oyate tribe in South Dakota, was the first to prominently make use of the symbol at the 2019 Boston Marathon. Red handprints symbolize the silence and lack of interest given to victimized Indigenous women, many of whom end up missing or murdered.
