The relentless and intentional torture, criminalization, incarceration, and murder of journalists, medical workers, and humanitarian aid workers has been a key strategy in the Israeli genocide of the Palestinian people. And yet, with unwavering courage and conviction, these relatives continue to risk their lives in the struggle for justice and liberation. As a Native artist, I understand the violence unfolding in Palestine not as an isolated event, but as part of the broader logics of settler colonialism that have shaped the histories and ongoing realities of Indigenous peoples across the globe. The attempted erasure of Palestinian life echoes the histories of dispossession, forced removal, cultural destruction, and genocide experienced by Native nations in what is now the United States. These interconnected struggles remind us that colonial violence is not confined to the past; it continues to structure the present while Indigenous peoples continue to resist, survive, and assert their sovereignty.

I created Haunting—a collection of three beaded tapestries—to honor the martyrs whose lives have been stolen and to call attention to both the atrocities of genocide and the enduring spirit of Palestinian resistance. I used pony beads and the peyote stitch technique to construct each tapestry, while the beaded poppies and leaves were created with glass seed beads using the French beading technique. I worked with a palette of red, white, and blue to underscore the unsettling reality that the violence inflicted upon Palestinians is sustained not only by the Israeli state but also through the political, military, and financial support of the United States. Through this work, I ask viewers to consider our collective responsibility while honoring the resilience, dignity, and humanity of those who continue to struggle for liberation.