No More Stolen Sisters

The No More Stolen Sisters Pow Wow jacket was donated to help raise public awareness of the human rights crisis surrounding Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two Spirited individuals (MMIWG2S). It is on view at MOV for the month of June 2022.

“This piece is a deeply personal project. I come from a long line of women who have been abused, some who are missing, and some who have left us. This jacket is about the healing of trauma. About the journey we take from trauma to healing. While creating this jacket I was going through the trauma of healing from a sexual assault and domestic violence. I was, and am, changed forever by that.

This jacket represents the ability to take something horrendous into something beautiful and put it on display for all to see. We are here, we are Indigenous women, and we will not be stolen any longer. This jacket is made from over 100 yards of satin ribbon with intentional placements of red and black to represent the blood spilled from the thousands of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two Spirit Individuals. There is also a red handprint hidden beneath the surface of the ribbon, visible from only the inside or if ribbon is pulled aside. This represents the hidden nature of our missing sisters.

This jacket represents me, and it represents all my kin I have yet to meet.” - Rebacca Lyon

The Museum of Vancouver, as a former colonial institution, is committed to actions of redress and decolonization. In practice, this means working together with Indigenous Community members to share their stories - past, present, and future; to showcase the ongoing strength of their artistic accomplishments and cultural traditions; and to spark discussions about the issues that matter most to their communities.