Mission and Vision
WHO WE ARE
Native Women in FILM & Television #WhyWeWearRED Call to Action and media coalition founded on January 7, 2018, by humanitarian/actress/producer/director/founder Joanelle Romero of Red Nation Celebration Institute (RNCI), The Creative Enterprise by Natives delivering to all people the stories that shape our world is the longest-running Native Women-Led Indigenous Media Arts and Cultural non-profit enterprise in the history of the entertainment industry.
Based in Los Angeles with offices in Santa Fe New Mexico, serving Indian Country & Entertainment Industry. Representing over 570+ Native Nations, amplifying more than 5000+ Native and Indigenous content creators through its streaming company Red Nation Television Network, supporting 2700+ Native Indigenous filmmakers through its Red Nation International Film Festival, including films directed by women through its Native Women in Film & Television in All Media, since 1995. In the last six years RNCI has screened 162 films directed by women.
OUR MISSION
Why We Wear Red is a powerful media coalition initiative aimed at raising global awareness about the glaring lack of inclusion of Native Women in Film & Television in all media. This issue is directly intertwined with the devastating epidemic of Missing and Murdered Native and Indigenous Women, Girls, and People. Why We Wear Red was founded in January 7, 2018.
OUR VISION
The vision of Why We Wear Red is a world free of sexual assault, human trafficking, domestic violence, child abuse and inequality for women in film, television, music and in all media.
OUR HISTORY
August 2018, then Congresswoman Deb Haaland, former United States Secretary of Interior partnered with Native Women in Film & Television in All Media #WhyWeWearRED Call to Action. NWIFT Why We Wear RED Call to Action and its Media Coalition had its first press conference in Santa Fe during Indian Market with Congresswoman Deb Haaland and others.
Santa Fe is the oldest capital city in the United States and the oldest city in New Mexico on the unceded territories of the Mescalero Apache and the 19 pueblos: Acoma, Cochiti, Isleta, Jemez, Laguna, Nambé, Ohkay Owingeh, Picuris, Pojoaque, Sandia, San Felipe, San Ildefonso, Santa Ana, Santa Clara, Santo Domingo, Taos, Tesuque, Zia, Zuni.
This initiative was christened “Why We Wear RED” in order to create a powerful slogan identified with a strong symbolic color and image of hand across the face to bring attention to the fact that not only are Native and Indigenous Women more likely to be victims of these types of crimes, their plight is often ignored and their specific stories are missing from mainstream media, leading to even further victimization.
The core theme of the #WhyWeWearRED initiative is the critical link between the lack of visibility in mainstream media and increased levels of violence against Native and Indigenous Women. If an Indigenous woman goes missing and her story is not widely distributed, this in turn leads to lower chances of apprehending the perpetrator, and both she and her story are lost forever.
If Native and Indigenous women are excluded from mainstream media, their victimization is compounded because predators receive the message that this class of victims does not matter. To combat this problem, Red Nation Celebration Institute works diligently to increase the profile of the Native narrative in all types and forms of media. This initiative is broad-ranging in scope and impact given the 500-plus tribes and Native and Indigenous communities across the nation.
The initiative furthers RNCI’s goal of increasing the visibility of Native and Indigenous women, and, by bringing the issue forward, educates Americans to transform the ways in which the underlying problem is addressed.
WHY WE WEAR RED IS A PROGRAM OF NATIVE WOMEN IN FILM & TELEVISION IN ALL MEDIA AND FISCAL AGENT RED NATION CELEBRATION INSTITUTE
The Creative Enterprise by Natives delivering to all people the stories that shape our world. RNCI the longest standing Native Women-Led, Indigenous Media Arts & Cultural nonprofit in the history of the Entertainment Industry, Empowering Native Indigenous Storytellers, founded in 1995. Serving Indian Country and the entertainment industry.
Copyright & Usage Notice
Why We Wear Red® / #WhyWeWearRED is a proprietary initiative of the Red Nation Celebration Institute. All rights are reserved.
Any use, reproduction, or distribution of the name, phrase, or associated initiative materials must include proper credit to the Red Nation Celebration Institute (RNCI). Unauthorized use without attribution or in a manner that misrepresents the initiative is prohibited.
For permissions, partnerships, or official use inquiries, please contact RNCI directly.
Humanitarian, Joanelle Romero creator of Why We Wear Red©, Native Women in Film©, Native Women in Film & Television in All Media©, coined #WhyWeWearRed, #NativeWomenInFilm, #NativeWomenInFilmTV, #NativeWomenLead, #NativeWomenRise, #IndigenousWomenRise and is the sole property of Red Nation Celebration Institute.