I finished this piece that meant the world to me: "Jaws of Michigan"

I wanted a chance to use not only my new UV reactive paints that glow under blacklight and graphite paints from Japan, but also my handmade watercolor paints made from actual Michigan sand, leaves and ingredients responsibly collected from around the area of Bahweting, but in the words of a dear friend of mine, truly great woman and daughter of this soil "when the earth loses her fierce protectors, she weakens." - Judith King

This piece meant something to me. Meant something more. It's no longer just the tribes outraged by the treatment of the first nations, it's all of us. From Standing Rock, #NoDAPL and their fight, to Oregon and Washington and fighting for their Rivers and rights to fish to Anishinaabe here fighting as well for even the right to live without prejudice.

All of us lose when #MMIW occurs; More than half the country doesn't know what MMIW means and that needs to change so the entire country is aware what a red handprint means and the power behind it. The struggle has been hard and lonely. This is 2023 and beyond and today is a new day.

We can never undo the horrors of the past, but we can move toward a future the babies can be proud of. Something of unity and I stand up, stand with and next to the daughters of the first nations. The two spirit. The tribes do not fight alone in their battles. You do not need to be tribal to speak up against darkness. You do not need to be tribal to support them. You can stand up with them, hand and hand. Speak truth to power and show them we forget nothing.

The Tiktok video to see it glow under blacklight: https://www.tiktok.com/@jarrodjvandenberg/video/7223025455270677806

TeePublic: https://www.teepublic.com/t-shirt/43679088-jaws-of-michigan?store_id=255465

Hear them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Onyk7guvHK8