Artist Donates Artwork that recognizes the MMIP Crisis
Velia Moncada
Gila River Indian News
On June 29, Community artist Todd “Wayde” Preston from District 5, donated his acrylic art piece, named “Embracing the Young Prayers” to Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis and Sr. Assistant of General Counsel, Sunshine Manuel. The painting honors the recovery efforts that the GRIC Missing and Murdered Indigenous People’s (MMIP) task force have done to locate and return two lost relatives of his family friends back home.
The gifting of the art piece occurred at the Hu Hu Kam Memorial Hospital campus. Preston has donated several art pieces to healthcare employees during his visits throughout the years. Preston shared how his friends and family members were affected by the MMIP crisis. However, thankfully, the MMIP task force aided in bringing the two women home safely.
“When I did it [painted the art piece], I was thinking of all the other ones that couldn’t comeback, in symbolization of MMIW (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women),” said Preston as he described the artwork to Gov. Lewis and Manuel.
The art piece named “Embracing the Young Prayers” features the silhouette of a woman standing on the desert land with the colors black, yellow, red, and white representing all tribal nations. The piece depicts the woman standing in the middle of a medicine wheel for healing. However, Preston also described it as the woman being a target. Sadly, this represents the Indigenous women targeted as part of this crisis.
Also featured are two sets of water birds surrounding her, representing angels protecting her. A group of birds are seen flying into the sky above, signifying her prayers and the families missing their relatives. And the second set of water birds are depicted coming down, representing the return of answered prayers.
Sunshine Manuel describes her appreciation for the art piece to Preston, as she is a part of the coordination efforts behind the MMIP task force for GRIC. Manuel expresses deep gratitude to Preston, as her team of investigators and officers typically handle the recovery process of victims, and she doesn’t receive feedback from families after recovering lost relatives to their families.
“When our workers see this, they’re never going to forget what they are there for and this piece of artwork is going to keep on reminding them of how important it is to protect our most vulnerable, especially in the MMIWP issue and the resources the Community is putting towards this issue,” said Gov. Lewis when he received the artwork from Preston.
Preston donated the “Embracing the Young Prayers” piece to the GRIC Family Advocacy Center. It will demonstrate the hope many families would like to receive and the awareness that the MMIP crisis is not just a month-long awareness but to recognize daily.
Preston is the owner of Vah-Ki N.D.N A.R.T (Native Dreams Never Ending Always Righteously Taught) and has put his artwork up for display at the Casa Blanca Assembly of God and various locations throughout the Community.
