Dancers Honor Missing Indigenous Women at SMU

Butterflies in Spirit performed at Southern Methodist University to raise awareness of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Native American

Dancers Honor Missing Indigenous Women at SMU

The Vancouver-based Indigenous dance group Butterflies in Spirit performed seven songs on Thursday, Nov. 5, on the second floor of SMU's Hughes-Trigg Student Center. The event was co-hosted by the Office of Social Change and Intercultural Engagement and Dallas's Inter-Tribal Council of AT&T Employees to kick off Native American Heritage Month.

Why it matters

The performance drew attention to the disproportionately high rates of violence faced by Indigenous women and girls in Canada, including murder and sexual assault. It also marked the start of SMU's observance of Native American Heritage Month, which runs throughout November.

The performance featured seven songs and a red dress, the symbol of the missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls (MMIWG) movement in Canada. Butterflies in Spirit was founded in 2012 by Lorelei Williams, and dancer Ana Cornejo has been a member for five years.

The players

Butterflies in Spirit

A Vancouver-based Indigenous dance group that uses performance to raise awareness of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.

Lorelei Williams

The founder of Butterflies in Spirit, who established the group in 2012.

Southern Methodist University

A private university in Dallas, Texas, whose Office of Social Change and Intercultural Engagement co-hosted the event.

The details

Dancers called out the names of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, holding up their photos and singing in their honor. Many of the group's dancers are relatives of women who went missing or were killed, and the group said it will continue urging audiences to take action on the issue.

2012: Lorelei Williams founds Butterflies in Spirit.
Five years before the event: Ana Cornejo joins the group after Williams travels to Mexico.
Thursday, Nov. 5: Performance held at Hughes-Trigg Student Center.
November: Native American Heritage Month observed at SMU.

Culture Shift

The performance carries the red dress symbol from Canada's movement for missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls into a Texas university, extending a national Canadian campaign to a new audience. It reflects a broader pattern of Indigenous advocacy spreading through cultural performance rather than solely through formal policy channels.

Dallas readers interested in the issue can attend campus events during Native American Heritage Month at SMU. The performance itself was a free public event held in a student center, offering a low-barrier way to engage with the topic.

The takeaway

Attending cultural performances and heritage events is one practical way to learn about issues affecting Indigenous communities. Readers can seek out local observances and campus programming to deepen their understanding year-round.