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The death of a 14-year-old San Carlos Apache girl is spurring questions nationally about what could have been done to prevent the tragedy. Emily Pike’s remains were found three weeks after she went missing from a Mesa, Ariz. group home. A candlelight vigil over the weekend honored her memory. At least one other community event is scheduled. Her death also comes after authorities identified the remains found at a Winnipeg landfill as one of the women suspected to be a victim of a serial killer. We’ll hear about both cases in context of pressure to improve the outcomes for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women.
GUESTS
Mary Kim Titla (San Carlos Apache), executive director of United National Indian Tribal Youth
Jolyana Begay-Kroupa (Diné), chief executive officer of the Phoenix Indian Center
Kim Wheeler (Anishinaabe and Mohawk), journalist and host of The Kim Wheeler Show on Sirius XM
Sandra DeLaronde (Cross Lake First Nation and Métis), MMIWG2S advocate
Kyra Wilson (Long Plain First Nation), Grand Chief of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs
Break 1 Music: Women’s Honoring Song (song) Red Hawk Medicine Drum (artist) New Beginnings (album)
Break 2 Music: Old Alberta (song) Blue Moon Marquee (artist) Scream, Holler, and Howl (album)
These guests make so many good points (especially about the ‘layers’ of injustice) I could write an essay validating all that they said.
It’s not enough, but there is a documentary about this issue called: “Who She Is” that I recommend: https://calderaproductions.com/whosheis/
And I wish to plug two more beautiful documentaries that relate to the underlying causes:
https://calderaproductions.com/home-from-school/
https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/documentaries/what-was-ours/
One thing I experienced living in a border town is that when I would ask non-Native people who had lived there most or all of their lives what they thought about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples being so prevalent in their community, their responses are/were: “Oh, it’s always been that way.”
On a more positive note, I was glad (and became emotional) to see a bunch of MMIP and Emily Pike signs at an International Women’s Day march and rally last week.
Thank you, NAC.