D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai made a powerful statement at the 2024 Emmys. The ‘Reservation Dogs’ star attended the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on September 15 in Los Angeles, California, wearing an Emporio Armani tuxedo, Thundercloud jewelry, and a red handprint over his mouth.
The handprint symbolized the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) movement.
As explained by Native Hope, the red handprint represents ‘all the missing sisters whose voices remain unheard,’ highlighting the media and law enforcement's silence on this crisis.
It also symbolizes ‘the oppression and subjugation of Native women, who are now standing up to declare #NoMoreStolenSisters.’
The organization was founded to tackle the widespread injustices in Indigenous communities. A 2019 Justice Department report found that women on reservations are 10 times more likely to be murdered compared to the national average.
Woon-A-Tai, who is Oji-Cree First Nations and Guyanese, earned his first Emmy nomination for his portrayal of Bear Smallhill on Reservation Dogs, Hulu’s critically acclaimed comedy-drama, which concluded after its fourth season.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai reflected on his connection to his Reservation Dogs character from his first audition.
‘The writers' room was entirely Indigenous, and they wanted to tell their own stories, which, in turn, told the stories of many other Native kids, including me,’ he shared.
‘I immediately related to Bear and saw similarities within myself, my cousins, nephews, and friends,’ he continued.
He added, ‘There are a lot of Bears in the world, especially in what we call Indian Country, just like there are Willie Jacks, Elora Danans, and Cheeses everywhere.’
In a May interview with Elle, Woon-A-Tai expressed pride in being part of a generation of Native American creatives pushing boundaries and taking the lead in telling their communities' stories.
‘We're moving towards a time where we no longer need others to tell our stories,’ he said.
‘In my opinion, if you're creating a story about Native people, it's essential to have a Native director, writer, and casting director,’ he added.
The three-hour Emmy ceremony takes place at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, with a live broadcast on ABC and streaming on Hulu the following day. Eugene and Dan Levy hosted the event.
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