Jaime Black

Jaime Black is a Canadian Red River Métis multidisciplinary artist and activist of Anishinaabe and Finnish descent.

Her work focuses on First Nations and Indigenous representation and identity. Black is best known for the REDress Project, an art installation that she created as a response to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) crisis in Canada as well as in the United States.

Black centers her creative practice on Indigenous womanhood and the effects of colonization on Indigenous peoples in North America. Her art has brought significant attention to the continued violence against Indigenous women.

Early life Jaime Black was born in Thunder Bay, Ontario, and later moved to Regina, Saskatchewan. At age 12, Black's family moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba, where she continues to live today.

Education Black studied English literature at the University of Manitoba, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Literature and Native Studies in 2004. In 2008, she received a degree in education from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto. Today, she continues to work in various capacities for groups that focus on education and Indigenous rights.

Since 2010, May 5 is recognized as Red Dress Day in Canada, where citizens are encouraged to hold grieving ceremonies, display red dresses in public spaces, and wear the colour red in solidarity with the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) movement. Doucette uses social media to share her visualization of violence towards Indigenous community members.

At the 2019 Vancouver Indigenous Fashion Week, a group of Indigenous designers honored Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) by featuring the color red in their collections.

In the U.S. House of Representatives hearing on MMIW in 2021, then New Mexico Representative Deb Haaland wore red to honour Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women.

Artistic career

Influences Black's artwork explores themes of memory, identity, place, and resistance, rooted in an understanding of the body and land as vital sources of cultural and spiritual knowledge. During this performance, 40 women in red dresses performed a choreographed dance while shouting the names of their missing family members. Black was inspired by the public nature of the performance and aimed to channel that energy to make the critical matter of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women in Canada visible both inside and outside gallery walls.

In a 2017 interview with Toronto Life, she credited the book cover of Maria Campbell’s The Book of Jessica, which features a single red dress, as a subconscious influence on The REDress Project. Themes of feminism and Indigenous social justice are highlighted. The installation features empty red dresses displayed in public and land based spaces, symbolizing the violence faced by Indigenous women and serving as a reminder of those who are missing or have been murdered. Black's REDress Project acts as a direct response to these extreme rates of violence. She describes this work as having a spiritual quality, suggesting it serves to call back the spirits of the women represented, allowing their stories to be told and remembered, thus promoting reflection and healing within affected communities.

The project engages local communities by collecting red dresses for the installations and has garnered widespread recognition, being exhibited in various locations, including the National Museum of the American Indian at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

Video

2020: When Land and Body Merge "When Land and Body Merge" is an 8-minute 34-second video created by artists Jaime Black and Lindsay Delaronde. This experimental performance piece explores themes of body, environment, nature, Indigenous identity, landscape, sustainability, and women's work. Black and Delaronde, who live in distant territories—Lekwungen Territory and Treaty One Territory—engaged in a collaborative process that reflects their shared connection to the land despite geographical and cultural differences. Over a two-month period, the artists worked remotely, exchanging creative responses through video and writing, which allowed them to build a relationship across distances. The project treats their respective territories as a third collaborator, integrating diverse languages, ceremonies, and traditions in an exploration of land stewardship and connection. "When Land and Body Merge" was produced in Manitoba and British Columbia and was showcased at four festivals: the Gimme Some Truth Documentary Film Festival, Gimli Film Festival in Manitoba, Dawson City International Short Film Festival, and the Art Gallery of Hamilton Film Festival.

2021: Waawiyebii’ige: She Draws a Circle “Waawiyebii’ige: She Draws a Circle” is a 4-minute 50-second video created by artists Jaime Black and Niklas Konowal. This experimental work reflects on the contributions of generations of women striving to break violence and oppression cycles. By exploring the spiritual connections to land and community, the piece emphasizes regenerative healing and the importance of shedding light hidden struggles to support future generations. Produced in Manitoba, “She Draws a Circle” spans themes of Indigenous identity, activism, decolonization, spirituality, body, culture, community, landscape, and resistance. It has been featured at the Gimli Film Festival in Manitoba, Asinabka Film and Media Arts Festival, ImagineNative Film & Media Art Festiva l, Vidéos de femmes dans le parc (GIV), and Planet in Focus.

Photography

2016-2017: Conversations with the Land/We Are the Land "Conversations with the Land/We Are the Land" is a series of photographs exploring themes of identity, memory, land, and strength. Black depicts scenes of Indigenous women and nature to express the connection between Indigenous people and the land. This collection has been featured multiple times independently and also shown in connection with The REDress project.

2020: Reimmersion “Reimmersion” is a photographic series that portrays Indigenous women submerged in water. Through these images, Black explores the healing significance of water in Indigenous cultures and emphasizes its ongoing importance to Indigenous sovereignty and security. The series reflects water's role as a source of renewal and a symbol of resilience and cultural continuity.

2020: Casting “Casting” is a single photograph featuring a white dress submerged underwater, created by artist Jaime Black. While Black has expressed uncertainty about the piece's specific meaning, she emphasizes that an essential part of her artistic practice involves the act of creation itself, allowing meaning to emerge intuitively through the process. This work reflects Black's approach to art as an exploration rather than a definitive statement.

2020: Home/Body Home/Land.