D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai’s red handprint at the 2024 Emmys has a deeper meaning
The red handprint is a powerful symbol for Native American communities
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Kelly Rissman
US News Reporter
D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai has made an important message at the 2024 Emmys.
The Reservation Dogs actor walked the red carpet at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards, which took place on Sunday, September 15 in Los Angeles, California. For the occasion, he wore an Emporio Armani tuxedo, Thundercloud jewelry, and a red handprint over his mouth – a symbol of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) movement.
According to Native Hope, the red handprint “stands for all the missing sisters whose voices are not heard. It stands for the silence of the media and law enforcement in the midst of this crisis.” The site added that it symbolizes “the oppression and subjugation of Native women who are now rising up to say #NoMoreStolenSisters.”
The organization was created to address injustices running rampant in Indigenous communities, with a 2019 report from the Justice Department revealing that women on reservations are 10 times more likely to be murdered in stark contrast to the national average.
Woon-A-Tai, who identifies as Oji-Cree First Nations and Guyanese, received his first Emmy nomination for his role as Bear Smallhill on Reservation Dogs –Hulu’s highly acclaimed comedy-drama that came to a close after its fourth season.
In an interview withThe Hollywood Reporter, Woon-A-Tai recalled how he connected with his character from his first audition. “The writers room was all Indigenous, and they knew that they wanted to tell their stories, and in telling their own stories, they told the stories of a lot of other Native kids out there as well, me being one of them,” the actor said. “I related to Bear right off the bat, and I see a lot of similarities within myself, within my cousins and my nephews, and with family and friends.”
He continued: “There are definitely a lot of Bears in the world and in what we call Indian Country, just like there are Willie Jacks everywhere or Elora Danans or Cheeses everywhere.”
Meanwhile, the actor told Elle that he’s proud to be a part of a generation of Native American creatives pushing the envelope and taking the initiative to create stories about and for their communities.
“I think we’re pushing to a time when we don’t need anybody to tell our story for us,” he said back in May. “If you want to make a story regarding Native people, it should definitely be mandatory, in my opinion, to have a Native director, Native writer, and Native casting director.”
The three-hour ceremony is taking place at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, beginning at 8pm ET (midnight GMT). A live broadcast will stream on ABC, while the show will be available to watch the next day on Hulu. Father-son duo Eugene and Dan Levy are hosting the award ceremony.
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