Missoula event brings awareness to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women
More than 100 people came together on the oval of the University of Montana to gather in solidarity for the ongoing Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women crisis.
By: Megan Mannering
and last updated 2021-05-06 10:56:30-04
MISSOULA â Nearly 200 people came together on the Oval of the University of Montana Wednesday night, gathering in solidarity for the ongoing Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) crisis.
Across the country, May 5 is recognized as a National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and raising awareness on this crisis in Missoula was Project Beacon and a crowd of supporters.
Two years ago, on a February evening, Ellie Bundy attended a tribal working group in Arlee, Montana, on the Flathead Indian Reservation. Surrounded by local and tribal law enforcement, tribal members and families, Bundy listened as people told stories about loved ones or community members who had gone missing. “What if that were my daughter?” Bundy said. “We say that a lot, but really, what if it were my daughter? What if it were my sister? What if it were my cousins? It is a visual you just can t get out of your head.” The meeting was one of four hosted by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes to encourage discussion and come up with local community responses to the epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous people.
MMIP Film ‘Say Her Name’ about Big Horn County Opens Wednesday
The short film ‘Say Her Name’ will be available for streaming starting at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday on You Tube.
Juliet Hayes of the Coushatta Tribe in Louisiana, the presenter for the film that chronicles the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls crisis in Big Horn County, spoke to KGVO News on Wednesday morning.
“Say Her Name is a film that was directed by Rain who is also the director of Somebody s Daughter,” said Hayes. “Somebody’s Daughter was a documentary on missing and murdered Indigenous women and Say Her Name is also about missing and murdered Indigenous women, however, specifically Say Her Name examines cases of missing and murdered indigenous people in Big Horn County, which the documentary says is the epicenter of the MMIWG crisis which is located in Hardin, Montana.”
MMIW National Day of Awareness Candlelight Vigil in Missoula kyssfm.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from kyssfm.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes have finalized their plan to improve coordination and agency response when Indigenous people go missing in the Flathead area. The plan is part of a national Department of Justice pilot project and will be used as a model for other tribes wishing to make their own community-specific plans.
CSKT has been developing their Tribal Community Response Plan since December 2020. The plan focuses on identifying and updating policies of law enforcement, victim services, media communication and a log of community resources to streamline what happens when someone goes missing.
Ellie Bundy, a CSKT council member and the presiding officer of the Montana Missing Indigenous Persons Task Force, announced the plan’s completion in a task force meeting Wednesday. She says one major accomplishment is the plan brings all ten law enforcement agencies working with CSKT into alignment.