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Indigenous Women - Resources

Resources for Issues Related to Indigenous Women

This guide was created to complement a public art exhibit on display in front of Randall Library at UNCW from April 19 - May 6, 2021.  The REDress Project, by Jaime Black, was created in 2011 at the University of Winnepeg in Manitoba, Canada, and has been displayed in many locations since then.  This guide contains links to resources in Randall Library and beyond about indigenous women, particularly focused on the issue of the thousands of missing and murdered Aboriginal, Native American, and Alaska Native women.

Photo: Smithsonian Magazine

Selected Books and eBooks

Selected Films

Finding Ashley, A Native American Family's Desperate Search for Their Missing Relative

Ashley Heavyrunner Loring was 20 when she disappeared from the Blackfeet reservation in Montana in June 2017. Her family has been searching for her ever since. Ashley was one of more than 5,000 Native American women listed missing in 2017. Lawmakers are calling it an epidemic. / Click on title to access this streaming film
Warrior Women

"Warrior Women" is the story of Madonna Thunder Hawk, an AIM leader who cultivated a kindred group of activists' children, including her daughter Marcy, into the "We Will Remember" Survival School as a Native alternative to government education. Together, Madonna and Marcy fought for Native rights in an environment that made them more comrades than mother-daughter. / Click on title to locate this DVD
Native Americans: Celebrating Traditions

Once forced to hide their heritage, Native Americans now enjoy both an acceptance and a celebration of their history and culture. By presenting the experiences of Native Americans from a wide array of fields including artisans, performers, and teachers, this program shows how many tribes are returning to the traditions and spirituality of their ancestors. Among those interviewed are Kevin Locke, award-winning Native American vocalist; Wilma Mankiller, the first woman in modern history to lead a tribe; and Richard West, Director of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian. / Click on title to access this streaming film
Our Fires Still Burn: The Native American Experience

This one-hour documentary invites viewers into the lives of contemporary Native American role models living in the U.S. Midwest. It dispels the myth that American Indians have disappeared from the American horizon, and reveals how they continue to persist, heal from the past, confront the challenges of today, keep their culture alive, and make great contributions to society. Their experiences will deeply touch both Natives and non-Natives and help build bridges of understanding, respect, and communication. / Click on title to access this streaming film
Injunuity

This documentary is a collage of reflections on the Native American world, our shared past, our turbulent present, and our undiscovered future. Injunuity is a mix of animation, music, and real thoughts from real people exploring our world from the Native American perspective. Every word spoken is verbatim, every thought and opinion is real, told in nine short pieces and covering such topics as language preservation, sacred sites, and the environment. / Click on title to access this streaming film

Art Websites

REDress Project

"The REDress Project focuses around the issue of missing or murdered Aboriginal women across Canada. It is an installation art project based on an aesthetic response to this critical national issue. The project has been installed in public spaces throughout Canada and the United States as a visual reminder of the staggering number of women who are no longer with us. Through the installation I hope to draw attention to the gendered and racialized nature of violent crimes against Aboriginal women and to evoke a presence through the marking of absence." ~ Jaime Black, Artist

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American Indian Made in North Carolina

Store: American Indian Made in North Carolina was created to assist native artists living in remote areas to reach new customers while still taking the time to make each object with care. The store’s purpose is to be the online marketing arm for the artists, who love to be creating, painting or sculpting in their studios. Each item is unique. The store reflects the beautiful natural surroundings of North Carolina that native peoples have lived alongside for centuries.

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Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA)

Through the concept of art as a traditional path of creativity, IAIA excels at skill building, provoking thought and providing exceptional educational opportunities. IAIA is a place to embrace the past, enrich the present, and create the future, moving ahead to paths yet unexplored and undiscovered. Here on our stunning 140 acre Santa Fe campus, the beauty of learning is enhanced by the beauty of our surroundings.

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National Museum of the American Indian

A diverse and multifaceted cultural and educational enterprise, the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) is an active and visible component of the Smithsonian Institution, the world's largest museum complex. The NMAI cares for one of the world's most expansive collections of Native artifacts, including objects, photographs, archives, and media covering the entire Western Hemisphere, from the Arctic Circle to Tierra del Fuego.

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Websites for Research & Support

Association on American Indian Affairs

"The Association on American Indian Affairs is the oldest non-profit serving Indian Country protecting sovereignty, preserving culture, educating  youth and building capacity. The Association is governed by an all-Native American Board of Directors from across Indian country."

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Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women

The Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women's mission is: "To stop violence against Native women and children by advocating for social change in our communities. The CSVANW takes ownership and responsibility for the future of Native women and children by providing support, education, and advocacy using our strengths, power and unity to create violence-free communities."

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Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women USA

"MMIW USA’s number one mission is to bring our missing home and help the families of the murdered cope and support them through the process of grief. We give them hands-on support and guidance and if we don’t have the answers, we get the answers so that these families do not feel abandoned and alone in this struggle like so many have before them. Our broader goal is to eradicate this problem so that the future generations thrive." 

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National Indigenous Women's Resource Center

The National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center, Inc. (NIWRC) is a Native-led nonprofit organization dedicated to ending violence against Native women and children.

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Native Women's Wilderness MMIW

The Native Womens Wilderness support page for the issue of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW)

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National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls

The National Inquiry must look into and report on the systemic causes of all forms of violence against Indigenous women and girls, including sexual violence. We must examine the underlying social, economic, cultural, institutional, and historical causes that contribute to the ongoing violence and particular vulnerabilities of Indigenous women and girls in Canada. The mandate also directs us to look into and report on existing institutional policies and practices to address violence, including those that are effective in reducing violence and increasing safety.

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Research Databases

Gender Studies (Gale OneFile)

Gale OneFile: Gender Studies provides balanced coverage of this significant aspect of culture and society. Gender Studies includes topics related to gender studies, family and marital issues, and more.

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GenderWatch

GenderWatch is a repository of important historical perspectives on the evolution of the women's movement, men's studies, the transgender community and the changes in gender roles over the years. Publications include scholarly journals, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, regional publications, books and NGO, government and special reports.

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eHRAF World Cultures

Provides a cross-cultural database of information on all aspects of cultural and social life, organized into cultures and ethnic groups.

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Ethnic NewsWatch

Ethnic NewsWatch is a current resource of full-text newspapers, magazines, and journals of the ethnic and minority press, providing researchers access to essential, often overlooked perspectives. The database now also contains Ethnic NewsWatch: A History, which provides historical coverage of Native American, African American, and Hispanic American periodicals from 1959-1989.

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