May is Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Awareness Month. Several events this week across the nation and in Oregon are meant to acknowledge the ongoing crisis. May 5 is Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day, observed to remember lives lost and impacted by violence and inequity in Indian Country.
The color red features prominently at the gatherings. At a meadow in Eugene’s Heron Park Wednesday, red dresses hung from tree branches fluttered and twisted as wind swept through. Organizers from Illioo Native Theater and the University of Oregon’s Native & Indigenous Studies Academic Residential Community placed the dresses as part of this year’s annual Poetry in the Park event in honor of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women.
The color popped brightly against the deepened greens of the grasses and leaves on the overcast afternoon. The visibility is intentional and symbolic. Not only is it the official color of the #MMIW campaign, it also carries heightened meaning for many tribes.
“In various tribes, red is known to be the only color the spirits see. It is hoped that by wearing red, we can call back the missing spirits of our women and children so we can lay them to rest,” Jennifer O’Neal, an assistant professor at the University of Oregon, explained to the crowd before introducing the presenting poets and readers.
Marta Lu Clifford, the event’s founder and an elder-in-residence at the University of Oregon, started Poetry in the Park during the pandemic. On Wednesday, she reminded those gathered of the urgency and importance of the day’s purpose: Indigenous women are six-times more likely to be murdered than non-Indigenous women, and are considered high-risk by virtue of being Indigenous and female.
While the movement initially started to seek remembrance and justice for Indigenous women and girls, it has expanded to include Indigenous men and lgbtq+ communities.
On Friday, May 3, the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission will hold its second annual Columbia River Round Dance honoring missing or murdered indigenous women and people. Because of last year’s large attendance, its organizers decided to hold this year’s event at The Dalles Readiness Center.
“It started as an awareness event, but it was also meant to bring healing to the community, particularly the indigenous community that lives along the Columbia River,” said Jill-Marie Gavin, a public information specialist for the commission.
Round dances, an old tradition among tribes in the U.S. and Canada, are held for healing and prayer, and also as social events for what Gavin described as “good medicine and healing.”
During a round dance, a host drummer sings and drums in the center of the room as participants dance around them. Gavin said everyone is welcome, and to wear red. It’s not uncommon, she said, for people to have red bandanas, shirts, and ribbon skirts.
In 2021, the U.S. Attorney for the State of Oregon documented 11 missing Indigenous individuals, six of whom are women and five are men, and eight murder victims, of which five are women and three are men. Cases have long been underreported and under investigated, and the advocacy and outreach of today is for all Indigenous people and communities impacted by social and economic disparities, violence, and other injustices.
“We’re very much in need of everyone who is willing to be an ally in this quest to stop this crisis to please come and join us. And if you don’t know how we will tell you and we will show you the way,” Gavin said.
In February, the justice department announced the appointment of Bree R. Black Horse as the Washington-based MMIP Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northwest Region, including Oregon. Friday, the department also announced the appointment of Cedar Wilkie Gillette as the unit’s regional coordinator. Wilke Gillette previously served as the district coordinator for Oregon.
Community events in observance of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons day continue in the days ahead.
Saturday evening, the Whiteside Theatre in Corvallis is hosting a benefit concert to raise awareness for the MMIP movement, headlined by Mato Wayuhi, an Oglala Lakota artist and musician from South Dakota and musical composer for the television series Reservation Dogs. Oregon-based filmmaker and recording artist Kunu Bearchum, of the Northern Cheyenne and Ho-Chunk Nations, will open the event.
Next week, Kaku-Ixt Mana Ina Haws, the longhouse gathering space which represents indigenous people of the Americas and Pacific Islands at Oregon State University in Corvallis, is welcoming Indigenous authors Deborah Miranda and Ire’ne Lara Silva to campus. Miranda is the author of the book “Bad Indians: A Tribal Memoir.” Silva is the 2023 Texas State Poet Laureate and the author of the collection “The Eaters of Flowers.” On Monday, May 6, Kaku-Ixt Mana Ina Haws will host an open mic and poetry reading with the authors, followed by a poetry workshop on Tuesday, May 7.
For the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission’s Round Dance in The Dalles, Gavin said it’s free, there will be dinner, and it’s meant to bring people together.
“We’re really just wanting people to come out, and please wear red. We’re doing this because we love our people, we want to protect our people, and we also love our communities that we live in. That includes everyone, not just the indigenous community members. Everyone is safer when we are able to come together and make these moves toward bringing awareness and healing. We want safe, thriving, happy communities,” Gavin said.
