Jaime Black facts for kids

Jaime Black is a Canadian Red River Métis artist and activist. She is also of Anishinaabe and Finnish background. Jaime lives and works in her home area where the Red and Assiniboine Rivers meet.

Her art often focuses on the identity and experiences of Indigenous people. Black is most famous for the REDress Project. This art project was created to bring attention to the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) in Canada and the United States. A report in 2014 showed that over 1,000 Indigenous women were murdered between 1980 and 2012. However, many Indigenous groups believe the real number is much higher.

Black's art explores Indigenous womanhood and how colonization has affected Indigenous people in North America. Her work has helped people notice the ongoing violence against Indigenous women. The REDress Project has even been recognized by the Canadian government. It helped create a national day, Red Dress Day, to remember MMIW.

About Jaime Black

Jaime Black was born in Thunder Bay, Ontario. She later moved to Regina, Saskatchewan. When she was 12, her family moved to Winnipeg, Canada, where she still lives today. In an interview, Black said she didn't know about many problems in these communities when she was young. This was because these topics were not discussed in her early schooling.

As an adult, Black studied English literature at the University of Manitoba. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Literature and Native Studies in 2004. In 2008, she earned an education degree from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto. After her studies, Black taught at the Opaskwayak Cree Nation in The Pas, Manitoba. She also created an art program for the Urban Shaman, an Indigenous artist center in Winnipeg.

Black also mentors artists through the Mentoring Artists for Women's Art group. She continues to work with groups that focus on education and Indigenous rights.

How Jaime Black's Art Makes a Difference

In 2019, Jaime Black spoke at a meeting in Washington D.C. She said that when people see red dresses, she wants them to understand that Indigenous women are strong. She wants them to know that "our power is still real. We are going to reclaim it."

Black's art and activism have inspired many other Indigenous artists. This has brought even more attention to their experiences.

• Since 2010, May 5 is known as Red Dress Day in Canada. On this day, people are encouraged to remember MMIW. They display red dresses and wear the color red to show support.
• In 2016, Mi’kmaq artist Sasha Doucette photographed red dresses and shirts. She placed them where Indigenous people were found in her community of Eskasoni Mi'kmaw Nation in Nova Scotia. Doucette uses social media to share her art about violence against Indigenous people.
• Two high school students, Trinity Harry and Joseph Ginter, spent over 300 hours welding a red dress sculpture in 2018. They said Jaime Black was their inspiration.
• At the 2019 Vancouver Indigenous Fashion Week, Indigenous designers honored MMIW. They featured the color red in their clothing collections.
• In 2021, then New Mexico Representative Deb Haaland wore red at a U.S. House of Representatives hearing on MMIW. She did this to honor Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women.

Jaime Black's Artistic Journey

What Inspired Her Art

Black's art explores themes like memory, identity, and strength. She believes the body and land are important sources of cultural knowledge. Her work has been greatly influenced by other Indigenous women. Her inspiration for focusing on missing and murdered Indigenous women in Canada began after hearing a presentation by Jo-Ann Episkenew.

In 2009, Black saw a performance in Bogota, Colombia. Three hundred women whose family members were murdered or missing gathered in a public square. They wanted to draw attention to the problem. During this performance, 40 women in red dresses danced and shouted the names of their missing family members. Black was inspired by this public display. She wanted to bring the important issue of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women in Canada to public view.

In a 2017 interview, she mentioned that the book cover of Maria Campbell’s The Book of Jessica also influenced her. It shows a single red dress.

Major Art Projects

The REDress Project (2010)

The REDress Project is a public art display started in 2010. It aims to raise awareness about the many Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW), girls, transgender, and Two-Spirit people in Canada. The project highlights themes of feminism and Indigenous social justice. It features empty red dresses displayed in public places and on the land. These dresses symbolize the violence faced by Indigenous women. They also serve as a reminder of those who are missing or have been murdered.

Even though Indigenous women are only 4% of Canada's population, they make up 16% of all homicide victims. The Canadian Government's National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls has highlighted this difference. Black's REDress Project directly responds to these high rates of violence.

The REDress Project works to challenge harmful ideas about Indigenous women. It draws attention to their presence and absence in society. It also highlights issues like not enough police protection and government inaction. The project aims to make Indigenous women's voices heard. Black describes this work as having a spiritual feeling. She suggests it helps call back the spirits of the women it represents. This allows their stories to be told and remembered, helping communities heal.

The project involves local communities by collecting red dresses for the displays. It has gained wide recognition. It has been shown in many places, including the National Museum of the American Indian at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. It has also inspired other artists to address MMIW using the color red. The project helped create Red Dress Day, a day of remembrance for First Nations, Inuit, Métis, and Native American communities.

Art, Action, and the Power of Presence (2025)

A book called "Art, Action, and the Power of Presence" is planned for release in spring 2025. This book brings together the voices of Indigenous women, Elders, community activists, artists, and family members. They share their experiences with the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit (MMIWG2S) people across Turtle Island (North America). Black shares her own stories and thoughts from her REDress Project. Along with others, she uses their combined voices to ask for justice. They also honor Indigenous women as protectors of land, culture, and community.

Video Art

When Land and Body Merge (2020)

"When Land and Body Merge" is an 8-minute, 34-second video. It was created by artists Jaime Black and Lindsay Delaronde. This experimental performance explores themes of the body, environment, nature, Indigenous identity, and sustainability. Black and Delaronde live in different territories. They worked together remotely for two months, sharing videos and writings. This helped them build a connection across distances. The project sees their lands as a third partner. It includes different languages, ceremonies, and traditions. It explores how to care for the land and connect with it. "When Land and Body Merge" was made in Manitoba and British Columbia. It was shown at four film festivals.

Waawiyebii’ige: She Draws a Circle (2021)

“Waawiyebii’ige: She Draws a Circle” is a 4-minute, 50-second video. It was created by artists Jaime Black and Niklas Konowal. This experimental work thinks about the efforts of many generations of women. They have worked to stop cycles of violence and oppression. The video explores spiritual connections to land and community. It highlights healing and the importance of showing hidden struggles to help future generations. Made in Manitoba, “She Draws a Circle” covers themes like Indigenous identity, activism, decolonization, and spirituality. It has been shown at several film festivals.

Photography Art

Conversations with the Land/We Are the Land (2016-2017)

"Conversations with the Land/We Are the Land" is a series of photographs. It explores themes of identity, memory, land, and strength. Black shows scenes of Indigenous women and nature. This expresses the connection between Indigenous people and the land. This collection has been shown many times on its own. It has also been shown with The REDress Project.

Reimmersion (2020)

“Reimmersion” is a series of photographs. It shows Indigenous women underwater. Through these images, Black explores the healing power of water in Indigenous cultures. She also highlights water's importance for Indigenous rights and safety. The series shows water as a source of new life and a symbol of strength and cultural traditions.

Casting (2020)

“Casting” is a single photograph by Jaime Black. It shows a white dress submerged underwater. Black has said she is not sure of the exact meaning of the piece. However, she stresses that a key part of her art is the act of creating itself. She lets the meaning appear naturally through the process. This work shows Black's approach to art as an exploration, not a fixed statement.

Other Art Works

• 2017: Shards Project
• 2019: Works in Snow
• 2020: Home/Body Home/Land.

See also

• REDress Project
• Red Dress Day