“No More Stolen Sisters,” A Poignant MMIW Tribute

A new art exhibition at the Walker’s Point Center for the Arts, located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, powerfully portrays the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirits (MMIWG2S) epidemic. Entitled “No More Stolen Sisters,” the show aims to put this pressing issue in front of more people while simultaneously initiating an emotional connection with the audience. 

The Milwaukee art exhibition fills two rooms in the gallery and features several pieces curated by Wisconsin artists.

For example, one of the first pieces visitors see is a Wisconsin-based poet’s poem entitled “Poem On Disappearance.” Additionally, “No More Stolen Sisters” incorporates works made from clay, metal, mixed media and more from Indigenous artists all over North America.  

Wisconsin Artists Advocating 

Two Wisconsin-based artists involved in the show, Valaria Tatera and Teresa F. Faris, point out the importance of drawing attention to Native American history and culture.

Tatera, one of the show’s curators and featured artists, calls MMIWG2S a “crisis” that demands more scrutiny. As a Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Chippewa member, Tatera has an emotional connection to the “No More Stolen Sisters” exhibition. 

On the other hand, Faris is a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and also serves as one of the show’s curators. Like Tatera, Faris adamantly argues there’s a need for more attention drawn to this issue.

In fact, Faris has wanted to do an exhibition on MMIWG2S for a while. Hence, the new show carries even greater significance for her. 

An Art Exhibition With Power 

“No More Stolen Sisters” undoubtedly serves multiple purposes. First and foremost, the show’s primary intention is to bring awareness to the MMIWG2S epidemic prevalent in the United States for far too long.

On top of that, the exhibition creates a space that honors victims and their families, putting their stories out there to show they’re not invisible.

“I think it’s essential that we understand that the connection between the commodification and exploitation of Indigenous land leads to the commodification and exploitation of Indigenous people,” Tatera addresses. 

MMIWG2S: Unimaginable Statistics 

When you look at the statistics connected to the MMIWG2S crisis, the figures are so astonishing they’re almost unbelievable. For example, four out of five Indigenous women have experienced some kind of violence in their lifetime. And, of these women, about half have experienced sexual violence.

What’s more, Indigenous women face murder rates more than ten times the national average. Still, there is little to no media coverage for most of these cases. 

That’s what the “No More Stolen Sisters” exhibition strives to achieve. The show’s curators want to use something powerful and emotion-inducing like art forms to show people how severe the crisis is.

Milwaukee’s new art exhibition brings Indigenous women into the spotlight through paintings, allusions, poetry, and more. By doing so, these women boldly announce their strength and perseverance.