Story behind D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai's red hand symbol at Emmys
What's the story
D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai—the star of Reservation Dogs—made a powerful statement at the 2024 Emmy Awards that had everyone talking!
He painted a red handprint over his mouth as a symbol of solidarity with missing and murdered Indigenous women.
This act is associated with the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) movement. It represents "all the missing sisters whose voices are not heard" and "the silence of the media and law enforcement in this crisis," per the Native Hope organization.
Advocacy spotlight
Woon-A-Tai's advocacy for Indigenous representation
Woon-A-Tai has consistently advocated for increased visibility of Indigenous stories in Hollywood.
His work on Reservation Dogs, which concluded its final season on FX on Hulu earlier this year, is a testament to this commitment.
Previously, in a separate interview, the actor mentioned how the series had taught him the gravity of true representation.
"Nobody should tell our stories on our behalf...Moving forward, I am very much going to stick with telling Native stories through the Native lens."
Twitter Post
Take a look at Woon-A-Tai's statement at Emmys
D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai
— Complex Pop Culture (@ComplexPop) September 15, 2024handprint over his mouth in solidarity with missing and murdered Indigenous women. pic.twitter.com/OWpGqbttCj arrived to the #Emmys with a red
Personal connection
Woon-A-Tai's Emmy nomination and connection to 'Reservation Dogs'
Woon-A-Tai received his first Emmy nomination this year for Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his role in Reservation Dogs.
He told The Hollywood Reporter that he instantly related to his character, Bear Smallhill, from the very first audition.
"The writers room was all Indigenous, and they knew that they wanted to tell their stories...they told the stories of a lot of other Native kids out there as well, me being one of them."