Blogs

By Katarina Ziervogel Tamara Chipman, a 22-year-old woman from Moricetown First Nations in British Columbia first went missing on September 21, 2005 near Prince Rupert. Tamara was last seen hitchhiking from Prince Rupert to Terrace in British Columbia, on Highway 16, best known as the Highway of Tears, where several other women have gone missing or have been found murdered. The name “Highway of Tears” gives Highway 16 an ominous energy. It’s a long route for hitchhikers who once thought it was safe to travel the highway in beautiful British Columbia. Chipman’s aunt Gladys Radek did not foresee that the time she spent with Tamara in 2001 would be the last time she saw her. All families of missing and murdered Indigenous women unfortunately share that in common with Gladys, which led her to create a non-profit organization called “Walk4Justice”...

The 2021 short-film documentary Say Her Name, directed by Rain, began with Juliet Hayes (Coushatta) sharing the astonishing statistics at the heart of the epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) taking place in the reservation border town of Hardin, Montana, located in Big Horn County. Drawing on similarities between well-known serial murders, Hayes went on to report that there were 27 documented MMIWG cases and that “86% of missing and murder Indigenous people [MMIP] cases in Montana remain[ed] unsolved.” Historically, Hayes said, “Big Horn County has the highest per capita rates of MMIWG cases in the U.S.”

According to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Unit (MMU), U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, “American Indian and Alaska Native people are at a disproportionate risk of experiencing violence, murder, or going missing and make up a significant portion of the missing and murdered cases.” It is because of the recognition of the epidemic at a federal level, as well as the prior work done by Operation Lady Justice, the Presidential Task Force on Contains a quote from the NativeHope.org website which reads "There is widespread anger and sadness in First Nations communities. Sisters, wives, mothers, and daughters are gone from their families without clear answers. There are families whose loved ones are missing—babies growing up without mothers, mothers without daughters, and grandmothers without granddaughters. For Native America, this adds one more layer of trauma upon existing wounds that cannot heal. Communities are pleading for justice.Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaskan Natives, that Secretary Deb Haaland, New Mexico congresswoman and the U.S.’s first Indigenous cabinet secretary, called for the formation of the MMU.

Every year, thousands of Native American women are reported missing across the US. Many are never found and the murder rate of indigenous women is higher than for any other race in the country. Reporter Kate Hodal investigates. Plus: author Mike Carter on retracing his father’s steps on a walk from Liverpool to London

‎Show Real Crime Profile, Ep Missing Indigenous Women - Part 1 - Oct 27, 2021

Last seen June 13th, 2017, Ashley Loring HeavyRunner, a 20-year indigenous woman, known for her contagious smile and athleticism, vanished from the Blackfeet Nation Indian Reservation. Just two weeks into her disappearance, after countless searches led by her sister, friends discovered potential evidence on the edge of the reservation near the town of Babb, a pair of red-stained boots and a tattered sweater. Cases like Ashley’s have unfortunately become a far too common occurrence. Her’s is one of the thousands of unsolved missing and murdered cases involving indigenous victims. Only 1 out of 4 of these cases appear in the media.

‎Show The Next Call with David Ridgen, Ep The case of Terrie Dauphinais: Episode 1 - 7 Nov 2021

In August 2010, 20-year-old Amber Tuccaro disappeared near Edmonton, Canada.

The National Day of Awareness of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Womxn and Girls is a struggle our communities face continuously and daily. An awareness day could only go so far, as our tribal communi

"We are constantly dismissed at every level of the justice system." Grace Bulltail told us about her family's search to find answers around the death of her niece, Kaysera Stops Pretty Places. If you or someone you know needs help, StrongHearts Native Helpline is a domestic, dating and sexual violence helpline for American Indians and Alaska Natives, offering culturally-appropriate support and advocacy daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. CT. The helpline is anonymous and confidential. Call 1-844-7NATIVE (762-8483).You can also call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find us on Twitter @1A.

Red Power Hour is back! Guests Jennifer Marley () and Cheyenne Antonio join RPH co-hosts Elena Ortiz () and Melanie Yazzie to discuss efforts to end MMIWG2+ from a left Indigenous feminist perspective.   Support