Indigenous

I did not feel vindicated that my testimony was proven correct but a deep sadness that what was foretold has come to be.

I felt I had no choice but to address the violence that has for too long destroyed so many families in Minnesota and across Turtle Island.

“If we do not move past the dysfunction in our communities, there will continue to be victimization.”

I do not want to keep having marches to remember these beautiful women and relatives because something awful happened to them. We have to be proactive.

“To fix over 500 years of trauma and its impact, we need everyone.”

Policies are good, but educating about the perception of Native women in society needs to happen.

There were between 27 and 54 actively missing American Indian women and girls in Minnesota
in any given month from 2012 to 2020.

The investigative work of today is not just for those who are being hurt now — it is for ancestors and to prevent harm to those who are on their way.

Place is defined by the stories we tell, and each place has a story that must be told.

I intend to put communities in control of their stories and in positions to feel safe so we can discuss our traumas and find ways to heal together.

When they took down the trees, to me that is an act of genocide. That is a declaration of war against the Ojibwe — to push this pipeline through.

I joined the Minnesota Safe Harbor system as a navigator, which makes me feel like I can help change the lives of our vulnerable populations on a larger scale.