Latest news with #MMIW
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Native American group leader traveling to AZ to spread awareness on missing indigenous people
The Brief Keely Birdtail, a Cherokee Comanche native, is traveling to Arizona from Indiana. She is spreading awareness on the issue of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) PHOENIX - An Indiana woman rode all the way out to eastern Arizona to spread awareness about Missing and Murdered Indigenous People. "I left Indiana four weeks ago on a mission to start spreading awareness for MMIW/MMIC/MMIP," said Keely Birdtail. The backstory Birdtail is a Cherokee Comanche native who is originally from Oklahoma. She started a group called Missing One Society, which is a motorcycle group dedicated to helping Indigenous people with missing relatives. Her destination was the San Carlos Apache Reservation, where she met with the family of Emily Pike to discuss her unsolved murder. Birdtail says Emily's murder has reopened the conversation that could help Native tribes across the country. What Birdtail Said "We need to spread the word, and let her be the catalyst of us uniting together as one tribe instead of all these little tribes," said Birdtail. Birdtail says her background as a mentor at Native American juvenile detention centers gave her insight into what teens like Emily are faced with. "I really got to the full aspect of what their lives were like and how they could've quickly went into something like this," Birdtail said. What's next Birdtail says she hopes to start up grief counseling and life coaching for Indigenous youth across the nation, but hopes the bigger message is that solving Emily's murder and other unsolved Indigenous murders will take more than just her. "I'm just a drop in the ocean, like I said before," said Birdtail. "With all of us, we become the ocean. We can do this, we can cause, we can get some justice, we can get some answers, maybe we can get some things done as a group." What you can do The reward in Emily Pike's case has increased to $175,000. If you have any information, you're asked to call the FBI's tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
CBS News
15-05-2025
- CBS News
Law enforcement, motorcycle enthusiasts ride 1,000 miles to bring attention to Indigenous sex trafficking
A group of local law enforcement officers, Indigenous advocates, and motorcycle enthusiasts rode more than 1,000 miles to the Navajo Nation in Arizona to raise awareness about sex trafficking and violence affecting Native American communities. The issue strikes at the heart of Indigenous populations. According to the National Congress of American Indians, 40% of women involved in sex trafficking identify as Native American, despite Indigenous women comprising less than 10% of the population in North America. Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma The ride began in the Dallas-Fort Worth area but was briefly delayed by severe hailstorms in western Texas. "They looked up, and all you see is the black sky," said rider Janette Nunez Perez. "We finally pulled into a gas station, and that hail was just coming down." Despite the weather, the group pressed on. "I wanted to go home a couple of times because it was rough," Nunez Perez said. "But we went there for a purpose. We wanted to be heard, and we wanted to raise awareness." Retired Rowlett Police Detention Officer Brian Wilburn also joined the ride, continuing to the Navajo Nation to spotlight the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women, or MMIW. The movement is symbolized by a red handprint and draws attention to the more than 5,000 Native American women who go missing in the U.S. each year, according to the National Crime Information Center. "It's a considerable effort, especially coming from DFW—or in my case, from Arkansas," Wilburn said. "Folks came from Oklahoma, or Massimino, coming from Italy. It's a huge effort, but the people appreciate it. They've embraced us." One of the most recent MMIW cases is that of 14-year-old Apache teen Emily Pike, who disappeared in January. Her dismembered body was found weeks later. "Murder is the third leading cause of death for Native American women. That's unacceptable," said Jayne Vaughn, a member of the Fort Worth Litas, an all-female motorcycle group that made the trip. "It's heartbreaking. You go from sad to angry and wish you could do more," Vaughn said. "You wish you could get the story out." Gabriel Kanawite, who grew up on a reservation in the Navajo Nation, said the issue is deeply personal. "A lot of times we almost feel as if we're forgotten," Kanawite said. "Every Indigenous community and reservation in the U.S. feels that way. We feel invisible to the world." The riders hope their journey sparks awareness and change—and that next year's ride will be even bigger.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Annual Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives conference set for May 17
May 8—BEMIDJI — MMIW 218 is set to host its second annual Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives conference from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 17, in Bemidji. The event will start with a walk from Paul Bunyan Park to the Sanford Center. Here's a look at the schedule for the conference: * Registration * Opening, honoring song and prayer * Plenary * Lunch * Session 1: Jeremy and Lenny — Healing and Wellness for Men and Boys, 2 Spirit Advocacy, MMIW218 — Community Organizing * Break * Session 2: Bring Nevaeh and Jeremy Home — Families of MMIW, IEN — Violence on the Land Violence on the Body, Mending The Sacred Hoop — Domestic Violence and the connection to MMIR, women's talking circle and men's talking circle The conference is free to attend. For more information on how to register, visit the MMIW 218 Facebook page.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Annual Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives conference set for May 17
May 8—BEMIDJI — MMIW 218 is set to host its second annual Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives conference from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 17, in Bemidji. The event will start with a walk from Paul Bunyan Park to the Sanford Center. Here's a look at the schedule for the conference: * Registration * Opening, honoring song and prayer * Plenary * Lunch * Session 1: Jeremy and Lenny — Healing and Wellness for Men and Boys, 2 Spirit Advocacy, MMIW218 — Community Organizing * Break * Session 2: Bring Nevaeh and Jeremy Home — Families of MMIW, IEN — Violence on the Land Violence on the Body, Mending The Sacred Hoop — Domestic Violence and the connection to MMIR, women's talking circle and men's talking circle The conference is free to attend. For more information on how to register, visit the MMIW 218 Facebook page.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Yahoo
‘Silent epidemic': Oneida Nation spreads awareness for missing, murdered Indigenous people
ONEIDA, Wis. (WFRV) – On Red Dress Day, scores of people from all backgrounds are wearing their chosen shade of scarlet to support missing and murdered Indigenous women (MMIW) and relatives (MMIR). 'The business committee of the tribe has passed a resolution honoring May 5 as National Wear Red Day to bring awareness to the issue,' Oneida Tribe Council Member Jennifer Webster said, who is also on the business committee. 'Across the state of Wisconsin, different tribes are doing different walks.' Man wanted in Wisconsin arrested in Chicago for fatal New Year's Eve crash The Oneida Nation is making its commemoration a weeklong event. Red pieces of clothing already line the trees, a symbol of victims and survivors that have suffered at the hands of criminals and abusers. 'It's a silent epidemic happening across Indian Country, and if they see something happening in the community, say something,' Webster said. Registration for the Oneida Nation's Missing and Murdered Relatives Walk on Saturday is at 10 a.m., with the walk getting underway at 11 a.m. Presentations, music and food are all part of the event, which has one goal. 'To be aware. If you see something, say something,' Webster said. 'Because Oneida is on the highway between Chicago, Green Bay, over to Minneapolis, up to Duluth, that's kind of a highway for trafficking. So we need to bring our young men and women, bring their awareness to the forefront.' While there have not been missing or murdered members from Oneida Nation ground in recent years, Webster says it is a widespread concern that plagues many tribes from coast to coast. 'Native women are ten times more likely to be murdered across the nation,' Webster said. 'It's an issue. And it's an issue that we need to share with our children and our grandchildren, our young women and our young boys, to be aware.' Wisconsin woman arrested after five unsecured children, marijuana found during traffic stop Webster believes that the epidemic can be solved, or at least stymied, with cross-generation discussions about warning signs and the importance of having others' backs. 'Sit down and have talks with their young women and young men. For them to be mindful of their surroundings at all times,' Webster said. 'And I think that's what the whole message of MMIW is, to watch out for each other.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
