Why did D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai have a red handprint on his face at the 76th Primetime Emmys?

In many ways, the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards broadcast soared. Between the charming father-son host duo of Eugene Levy and Dan Levy, Greg Berlanti’s mighty Governers Award speech, and the history made by winners and nominees like Liza Colón-Zayas and Nava Mau, this was a ceremony for the books.

It was an especially notable night for Indigenous representation as well. Following Lily Gladstone‘s historic awards season run for her work on 2023’s Killers of the Flower Moon, the actress earned a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for their work on Hulu’s Under the Bridge. The award ultimately went to Baby Reindeer‘s Jessica Gunning.

Also among the nominees was Reservation Dogs‘ D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, who was up for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (which would go to Jeremy Allen White for his work on The Bear). Woon-A-Tai, however, stamped his presence on this ceremony in a whole other way.

Namely, he turned up on the red carpet sporting a red handprint over his face; a striking look that many may not know the significance of.

Why did D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai have a red handprint on his face?

The red handprint across Woon-A-Tai’s face symbolizes awareness around Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, which encompasses the disproportionate instances of violence against Indigenous women in the United States and Canada (the latter being Woon-A-Tai’s country of origin).

According to the Assembly of First Nations, Indigenous women make up 16% of all female homicide victim and 11% of missing women in Canada, despite comprising only 4.3% of that country’s population. Moreover, 56% of Indigenous women have experienced physical assault, and 13% of Indigenous people have experienced intimate partner violence.

In 2016, the United States National Crime Information Center reported 5,712 missing Indigenous Women and Girls, and noted that “some counties have rates of murder against American Indian and Alaska Native women that are over ten times the national average.”

All this to say that D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai intended to call attention to an international, ongoing, centuries-spanning genocide with his appearance at the 76th Primetime Emmys. Some X users attempted to scorn what they believed to be performative wokeness, perhaps not realizing that D’Pharaoh is a part of this community, was nominated for a show that deals with Indigenous grief, saw an opportunity with this platform of his, and took it.

We’ll spare you those turgid, ignorant groans, though; there was, after all, much more lauding for the young actor.

Alongside Woon-A-Tai’s nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, Reservation Dogs also received a nomination for Outstanding Comedy Series (losing to Hacks). Woon-A-Tai’s next appearance will be in Alex Garland’s upcoming film Warfare, where he will portray a dramatized version of Ray Mendoza, who Garland co-wrote and co-directed the film with.