Supporting Indigenous Sisters: An International Print Exchange 

This professional print portfolio exchange involves a group of 16 artists, 8 of which are of indigenous  background invited by Melanie Yazzie, Professor of Art Practices and Head of Printmaking at the  University of Colorado and the other 8 are of varied backgrounds invited by Catherine Prose,  Professor of Art at Midwestern State University. The portfolio was created to help begin  conversations on many levels about missing and murdered Indigenous women. The images from all  the women artists act as an advocacy for change and for voicing this dark present history. What we  believe connects us is our support of our sisterhood to be safe and healthy. We want to emphasize  that the sisterhood is vast and from a wide variety of backgrounds. We want to help further  conversations on many levels as women supporting each other. And as women, we all have had our  individual and collective experiences in keeping our bodies and families safe. We asked that for this  portfolio the artists reach into their own experiences as a female walking this earth. We see the rise  of hashtags becoming movements like #blacklivesmatter, #metoo, #nastywomen, #womenrising,  #resist #nomorestolensisters and #MMIW and want to join and speak about what we have  experienced or witnessed and are still witnessing and experiencing as women. Since the creation of  this portfolio, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland announces the creation of a special unit to investigate  missing and murdered Native Americans.