Emmy Awards star's powerful red carpet statement in solidarity with Indigenous movement

D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, star of the hit show Reservation Dogs, made a striking political statement at the 2024 Emmy Awards . The actor walked the red carpet with a red handprint painted across his face.

The 22-year-old was one of the few celebrities to use the major awards ceremony as a platform for political expression . The young Canadian star was snapped in a classic black suit, his mouth obscured by a bright red handprint - a symbol of solidarity with the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) movement in North America.

This handprint is a tribute to the thousands of women who have been silenced and the chilling fact that Native American women are up to 10 times more likely to be murdered or sexually assaulted . This injustice is rooted in several factors including colonization and historical trauma, racism, and sexual objectification of Indigenous women.

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Woon-A-Tai's bold statement came as he was nominated for Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his role as Bear Smallhill in FX's 'Reservation Dogs'. He is up against Larry David from Curb Your Enthusiasm, Martin Short from Only Murders in the Building, and Matt Berry from What We Do in the Shadows.

Standing up for Indigenous women and collaborating with an entirely Indigenous cast and crew on 'Reservation Dogs', Woon-A-Tai shared his thoughts on the Emmy situation during a chat with Deadline. He disclosed his frustration about being ignored, saying: "We're one of only a few Native shows ever to accomplish what we have accomplished. So even if I wasn't on the show, I would feel the same way... we were overlooked for both Season 1 and Season 2, which I felt like were amazing.

"The cast and crew put their hearts into it. It was something that people have never seen before. So yes, we had our little conversations about getting snubbed, but I'm happy the voters are recognising how great the show was," reports the Mirror .

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