In June, See Changemakers will be discussing and interviewing two dynamic women. Both women speak to Indigenous perspectives through an artistic lens.
LATEST INTERVIEW: CLICK HERE
June 21st is National Indigenous Peoples’ Day in Canada. Also, June 21st is the summer solstice, bringing universal importance to this chosen date. The day of recognition became official in 1996 as National Aboriginal Peoples’ Day by the then Governor General, Roman LeBlanc. In 2017, it was renamed. It is celebrated as a statutory holiday in the Northwest Territories and the Yukon.
Jaime Black-Morsette, a visionary Metis Artist
Across North America, May 5th stands as a time to remember and honour the spirit and story of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. Included in this honor are girls, transgender, and two-spirit persons in Canada. (MMIWG2S+). The REDress Project by Jaime Black-Morsette was how Canada recognized the day of conception.
She Lights the Fire
Jaime Black-Morsette is a Red River Métis artist and activist who lives and works in her home territory alongside the rivers of Manitoba. Cathy Merrick has described her as a visionary Métis artist. In 2009, the internationally recognized The REDress Project was conceptualized by Jaime Black.
The project was born in 2010 as an art installation. It shaped itself with empty red dresses hanging from the ceiling of a room. Its symbolism was addressing the unspoken epidemic of MMIWG2S+. This exhibit grew into a movement that represents the injustices and violence towards Indigenous female-identifying populations.
Earlier in 2025, Jaime compiled a collective book, “REDress; Art, Action, and the Power of Presence,”. It evolved from a group production of images, poems, and stories. The contributors are women who have been on the frontline of this advocacy for the MMIWG2S+. To this day, red dresses and other such adornments are worn on May 5th to remember all those who have gone, plus honour and support those left behind.
REDress Project Globally
In 2017, May 5th became the National Day of Recognition for MMIW, which was formalized in Montana by a Senate Resolution. Since then, the symbolism of the empty red dress has emerged in both public and private spaces. This symbol aligns with the recognition of MMIWG2S+. On May 4th, 2025, Jaime read from the newly published book. This reading took place at the Human Rights Museum in Manitoba to honour the day.
Jaime’s quest for justice through the REDress Project was inspired, in part, by the women of Bogota, Colombia. During a conference in 2009, she witnessed a ceremony. This powerful honouring ceremony of the missing, MEMORIA DE LA AUSENCIA (Memory of the Missing) is held annually by the women of the community. During a 2024 webinar on the “Art and Power of Presence”, Jaime talks about the power that the imagery held for her.
Amnesty International describes REDress Day as a day when the wearing and draping of the red dress is a symbol of the fight for justice. Also, the choice of red is significant because in many Indigenous cultures, it is the only colour spirits can see. REDress Day matters because it makes the invisible visible.
Artistic Influences and Pathways
The Manitoba-based Metis, Anishinaabe, Cree, and European woman was into art from the time she could hold a pencil. However, her art career would have to take a back seat for a time. Initially, in 2008, she earned her English and Education degree. While teaching at the Opaskwayak Cree Nation in The Pas, Manitoba, she found herself developing art curricula as well as writing.
In the early 2000s, her Metis grandfather passed. She decided it was time to come back to her original calling. She felt it was important to honour her grandfather’s spirit and story. Jaime says, “It was around that time that I came up with the red dress project. I decided that in a very certain way, this is what I am going to do. I’m going to use my gifts to help others.” I think it was that decision that just really pushed everything forward after that.” She told Alison Tedford Seaweed, contributing writer for Future Pathways, during an interview.
Jaime reflectively noted other pivotal points that were calling her. One such example was the book she read when she was 17 years old. The Book of Jessica, by Maria Campbell and Linda Griffiths, describes the story of a young Metis woman moving to the city. Interestingly, the cover of the book features a painting of an empty red dress.
Later, two conferences held in Bogota, Colombia, and in Germany contributed to coalescing her trajectory. For example, during the conference in Germany, Jaime witnessed Jo-Ann Episkenew discuss the 500+ Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women of Canada to a European audience.
In that moment, Jaime saw and heard the power of what was happening in her country and to her people; the silence in the room was deafening. It was time for the spirits, memories, and stories of these women to be heard.
IMPORTANT LINKS:
Jaime Black Morsette’s WEBSITE
Native Women’s Association of Canada (Safe Passage)
National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center (USA)
Jaime Leigh Gianopoulos (Beijaflor); Filmmaker; Producer; Director
Over a year ago, my attention was captured during a Facebook Reels scroll. An image of various women standing amongst a barren rocky hillside in long, Grecian-style, white cotton dresses mesmerized me.
Each of Jaime Leigh’s (JL) films gives a megaphone to previously silenced voices. The films advocate for social and environmental justice. At the same time, many of her films also delve into ancestral themes.
In the most recent film, “Our Grandmother the Inlet”, JL teams up with Kayah George. Kayah George is Rueben George’s daughter and Chief Dan George’s Great-Granddaughter. The film features George and her grandmother, Ta7a. “The film is a reciprocal love letter to the Inlet. It portrays Kayah’s connection to the water. In the Tsleil-Waututh culture, water is considered to be their oldest grandmother and place of creation.” On June 1st, there is a special showing and artist talk at Museum of Vancouver from 1:00-2:30pm. Tickets are available on MOV website.
“Her Stories” Historical Record
Jaime Leigh’s (JL) filmography is deep and wide, both figuratively and literally. One of the earlier works, “What About Our Future?” became an award-winning piece about climate action, inspired by young people, including the “Sustainabiliteens”. It continues to be utilized by secondary schools as a component of their curriculum.
Another notable film was “The Boys Who Braid Their Hair”, a short documentary commissioned by the Tsleil-Waututh Nation Health & Wellness Department. JL was the director and editor on this project. The film discusses the importance and cultural significance of braids and hair length for Indigenous men. This short film weaves artistic captions with a variety of storytelling narratives. These stories both engage and educate the viewer.
Recently, JL, supported by the BOLDLY team, directed Desiree Dawson’s music video, “Mountain Tops”. The 6-minute production combines music video with documentary-style storytelling. This powerful music/doc features Desiree Dawson’s song interspersed with her friends discussing personal challenges and successes. The stories end with a cameo appearance by JL alongside Dawson’s harmony “… sing it from the mountain tops…”.
Personally Speaking
JL was a young 19-year-old early film student when a mentoring director shut her down amidst one of her initial productions. It caused her to step back from the art. However, once she found her footing again, she came back with a force. This was one of those turning points in careers. Now, she is adamant about giving voice to others.
On the flip side, her first experience in film is what made her consider filmmaking. In high school, a leadership program brought her together with like-minded individuals to create “What about our Future?”. She states in an article with an Arizona news agency. “I realized my childhood dream of filmmaking was an actual possibility that could become a career. I never underestimate the power one person can have on the direction of our lives.”
In her 2023 film, “Ask the Plantain,” JL relates her ancestor’s story. In this short bio-narrative, the film recounts how immigrant grandparents left their homeland of Greece to find a better life. The story progresses by bringing the granddaughter full circle. Meanwhile, the film weaves the mythological tale of Persephone into it and gives a narrative fullness.
JL’s films capture themes of “belonging, identity, and in some cases, reconnecting to our ancestral roots”. We can all find a connection here, inevitably bringing us together.
