The REDress Project

To commemorate Women’s History Month, the Michigan State University Museum, in collaboration with the MSU Native American Institute and other MSU partners, has installed a display of 60 red dresses along West Circle Drive, aiming to shed light on the national crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. The outdoor display runs through Sunday (March 17).

Indigenous women in the United States and Canada face disproportionately high rates of violence, according to a press release from MSU. Each dress in the display, which was created by Red River Métis artist and activist Jaime Black-Morsette in 2009 and has traveled to more than 50 locations across the globe, “symbolizes the absence and presence of Indigenous women and girls affected by violence, serving as a visual reminder of their stories and the ongoing struggle for justice,” the press release states.

“Through the haunting beauty of suspended red dresses, ‘The REDress Project’ affirms our commitment to amplifying Indigenous voices, advocating for their rights and standing in solidarity against the epidemic of violence on Indigenous women and girls, demanding justice and accountability,” said Kevin Leonard, interim director of the Native American Institute.