The murder rate for Native women is about 3 times more than that of most other women. 98% of Indigenous people experience violence in their lifetime, with only a 6% prosecution rate. Athol-based artist Nayana LaFond began painting a portrait, “Lauraina in RED”, in 2020 to support the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous peoples. The response was overwhelming. She painted another with a more overwhelming response. Nayana invited anyone wanting her to paint them or their loved one for free. She received over 25 responses that first day…and the messages never stopped coming.
More of Nayana’s work on IG @nayanaarts

About the image:  “Leonard in RED”

Leonard is Mohawk from Massachusetts. Leonard lost his niece “hummingbird”, when she died he cut his long braids and never grew his hair back out. Leonard is painted in honor of his niece because in Mohawk tradition you can not represent the person who has passed by image as themselves or by their name, only by other names and relationship. So Leonard is painted in honor of his niece Hummingbird who is painted on his shoulder.