Brennen Brothers, news editor
Hundreds of Minnesotans participated in the 10th annual memorial march that honors missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, men, boys, two-spirit and LGBTQIA+ relatives on Feb. 14. This day is also known as the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Awareness Day in Minnesota. The event was announced by the Minnesota Indian Women’s Sexual Assault Coalition (MIWSAC). It was planned to begin at the Minneapolis American Indian Center (MAIC) and featured speakers from the community, shares the MIWSAC.
MN Daily writes that the march began around 10:30 a.m. Information booths from organizations gathered in the MAIC’s Niibi Hall. Others heard stories from families in the Frances Fairbank Memorial Gymnasium. One speaker, Kathy Mishow, shared stories about her daughter Kateri who went missing 18 years ago. Mishow said they thought Kateri was outside playing with her friends, but there was no answer when they called. No search was performed and Kateri still has an open missing persons case. Another speaker included Teddi Wind, mother of Nevaeh Kingbird who went missing on Oct. 22, 2021.
People wore black or red shirts and also held poster board signs that reverberated the call for justice for the missing and murdered Indigenous relatives. Allison Porter, a participant in the march, said to MPR, “All the red, seeing all Native people from different reservations, different tribal affiliations all come together in a peaceful way to support this one huge movement. It’s beautiful to be a part of.” Other marches took place in Bemidji and Duluth.
Sen. Mary Kunesh, who led efforts to establish the MMIR office, said to MPR, “I hope people will take some time to educate themselves around the historic trauma. And the effects of this violence, trafficking, murder, the social impacts of homelessness and joblessness have had on our communities of color and of Native American people.”
Red Lake Nation News shared a statistic from the BCA Missing Persons Clearinghouse stating that 716 Indigenous people went missing in Minnesota in 2024, 57% of them being women. According to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, American Indian women and girls make up 1% of Minnesota’s population, however, 8% of murdered women and girls were American Indian. Additionally, in any given month from 2012 to 2020, up to 54 American Indian women and girls went missing in Minnesota.
MIWSAC’s Executive Director Nicole Matthew states that they used the day to increase visibility on the issue. Call on legislators and policy makers to be accountable to the communities. “I look forward to the day when we no longer need rallies like this because we will have ended this violence against our people. But until then, we will take up space in the streets and continue to call for action,” she said.
I look forward to the day when we no longer need rallies like this because we will have ended this violence against our people. But until then, we will take up space in the streets and continue to call for action
nicole matthew