Gila River Indian Community holds prayer vigil in honor of Emily Pike
Family members of Emily Pike received hugs, handshakes and condolences from dozens of people during a prayer vigil hosted by the Gila River Indian Community.
Emily was a member of the San Carlos Apache Tribe and 14 years old when she went missing in January. Her remains were found on Feb. 14 outside of Globe, in a remote area off of U.S. Route 60.
In response to her tragic death, Indigenous people and communities throughout Arizona have been holding prayer vigils and memorials in Emily's honor.
Emily's aunt, grandmother and two other relatives drove from the San Carlos Apache Reservation on March 13 to attend an early morning prayer hosted by Gila River Indian Community's Victim Services Department.
'It was comforting to see all of these people,' said April Victor, Emily's aunt. 'I felt the support for not only my loved one but all the others.'
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Victor said that Emily's story has impacted so many people, and their family has heard from so many other Indigenous people who have been affected by the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples crisis.
Seeing so many people gather in the Gila River Indian Community reminded Victor of how, as part of Apache traditions, the community comes together to provide support when someone passes away.
'We, as Indigenous people, that's how we show comfort,' she said.
Victor said that death is such a lonely feeling, and it often leaves those grieving the death feeling alone or deserted from the world. But having so many people come together has helped them start to heal, she said.
Despite the early morning and cold temperatures, dozens of people attended the prayer vigil in front of the Gila River Governance Center in Sacaton. The victim services department handed out red ribbons for attendees to pin to their shirts, representing the MMIP crisis.
'We wanted to have this gathering to show support for everybody who's going through a loss of a loved one or who doesn't know where their loved one is,' said Katherine Lewis, the director of the victim services department of the Gila River Indian Community.
Lewis said the prayer was a way for community members to provide that strength and support for fellow community members during trying times.
'One thing that always stands out about us is our resiliency as a people, as a community,' she said, and with everyone showing up to the prayer vigil, it shows the continued resilience and strength of Indigenous people.
During the vigil, Lewis thanked everyone who showed up because it is essential to keep talking about what happened to Emily and continue to raise awareness about MMIP.
She said that, despite extensive local news coverage about Emily Pike, there has still been little national coverage of what is happening.
'Keep saying her name,' Lewis said.
During the prayer vigil, Gila River Chief of Police Jesse Crabtree asked the community to speak up when they see anything unsafe.
'By saying something, you could be saving a life,' he said.
Crabtree said Emily's story should never have ended in her death, so it is important to 'stand together as a community, ensuring that no other family has to endure this pain.'
'Tribal communities across the country will not let Emily's name be forgotten,' he said. 'Let her memory be a call to action.'
Crabtree said that police officers are committed to doing their part, but the issue is bigger than law enforcement alone, and that is why it would take a community.
'We need more people to start coming forward to speak up, to stand up and to help prevent something like this from happening again in the future,' he added. 'Silence always allows violence to continue.'
Gila River Indian Community member Della Morago attended the vigil and offered her condolences to the family before leaving because Emily's story impacted her.
'It's not right,' Morago said of what happened to Emily. 'She was only a baby.'
She said she was happy to see the community come together to support the family because it shows they're not alone.
Morago said she hopes that the people involved in Emily's death are brought to justice so the family can have some closure.
She is still waiting for closure and justice of her own: Morago has loved ones who are currently missing and others who have been murdered.
And she was also a victim. Morago said she was shot in the face when she was in her 20s and left on the side of the road for dead in District 6 of the Gila River Indian Community.
'I was almost a statistic, but I was found,' she said.
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