‘Reservation Dogs’ Star D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai Sends Powerful Message to 2024 Emmys to Shine a Light on Murdered Indigenous Women

LOS ANGELES — D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, who stars in the critically acclaimed FX series “Reservation Dogs,” shared a powerful message on the 2024 Emmys red carpet on Sunday.

The 22-year-old painted a red handprint on his mouth in solidarity with murdered and missing Indigenous women.

According to the organization Native Hope, a red hand over the mouth has become a symbol of the growing MMIW movement.

“This slogan represents all the missing sisters whose voices are not heard,” Native Hope’s website reads. “It represents the silence of the media and law enforcement in the midst of this crisis. It represents the oppression and subjugation of Indigenous women who are now standing up to say #NoMoreStolenSisters.”

The series, which follows four Native American teenagers from rural Oklahoma as they attempt to travel to the mysterious and distant land of California, received four Emmy nominations, including best comedy.

Woon-A-Tai made history by becoming the first Indigenous person to be nominated in a lead acting category at the Emmy Awards.

“There aren’t many Indigenous actors, creators and artists who get the opportunity to be on stages like this,” he said when he was nominated for a Critics’ Choice Award this year. “To be on stage and represent our people every day is an honour.”

Disney is the parent company of Hulu and this ABC channel.