05.01.24 — The community joined Tribal Victim Services for the annual Walk of Remembrance in honor of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP).
PBPN Tribal Victim Services (TVS) held their annual Walk of Remembrance on May 1, 2024, to honor Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) and to mark the National Week of Awareness for MMIP. The community was encouraged to wear red in honor of MMIP and participate in the walk.
Brandy Williams of the TVS program introduced the walk by explaining its significance and the injustices that drive the exceedingly high numbers of Indigenous people who are missing or murdered.
“Native people continue to go missing and are murdered at alarming rates,” Williams said. “The ongoing injustice of murdered and missing Indigenous women and relatives is an accumulation of a spectrum of violence and neglect perpetrated disproportionately against Indigenous people. It reflects the intersections of genocide, colonization, and violence against women.”
05.01.24 — Brandy Williams of TVS introduced the Walk of Remembrance with an explanation of the injustices that drive the disproportionate numbers of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP).
Williams went on to explain that systemic issues with laws and policies have created the conditions that increase Indigenous people’s vulnerability. She called on federal, state, tribal, and international policymakers to enact foundational reforms as defined by Indigenous voices, languages, and teachings.
“This walk provides a process for inspiring public healing and compelling accountability for this injustice, and it honors those who have been murdered or gone missing,” Williams concluded. “Violence against Indigenous people is preventable.”
The walk was held in the Boys and Girls Club gymnasium. It was originally planned to take place in Prairie Peoples Park, but weather conditions prompted TVS to move the walk indoors.
05.01.24 — Community members participate in Tribal Victim Services’ annual Walk of Remembrance in honor of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP). The walk was moved indoors due to rain.
05.01.24 — Community members participate in Tribal Victim Services’ annual Walk of Remembrance in honor of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP). The walk was moved indoors due to rain.
During the walk, Ed Nelson and Micki Anderson of the TVS program read the names of missing Native Americans and Alaska Natives to bring attention to the Walk of Remembrance’s cause.
“They are going to read the names of missing persons off the NamUs website, which is a database that is promoted by the U.S. Department of Justice,” Sarah Draper, TVS Program Manager, said. “We wanted to let the community know that you can also search the NamUs website.”
Draper also encouraged those in attendance to reach out to the TVS program if they had questions or needed support.
“If you ever have any questions about our program, what services we provide, if you want to talk to somebody or have a friend who wants to talk to somebody, it’s completely confidential and we encourage you to get a hold of one of us,” Draper said.
05.01.24 — Tribal Victim Services Program Manager Sarah Draper addresses community members prior to TVS’ annual Walk of Remembrance in honor of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP).
The public can access the NamUs website to search the names of missing and unidentified people at https://namus.nij.ojp.gov/
Community members can contact Tribal Victim Services at 785-966-8331 or call the 24/7 Crisis Hotline at 1-866-966-0173.