Conversation: MMIR Crisis
by Mikki Morrissette
04/23/2021
3773
Talking with four women on background to action steps about the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives crisis in Minnesota
Four women from our special magazine issue about the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives crisis in Minnesota joined us in discussion to:
- Walk through the genesis for the need for an MMIR task force,
- Explore the difficult-to-find data about how big the issue is and why it gets underreported,
- Openly discuss why it is so easy for abuse, trafficking, and murder to occur invisibly in our communities,
- Examine why systemic issues are underneath the prevalence of violence and lack of public safety.
- We also discussed specific action steps the women encouraged readers to take.
The speakers included:
- Senator Mary Kunesh, author of “A Central Issue”
- Nicole MartinRogers, author of “What the Data Shows”
- Mary Sam, co-author of “Invisibility in the Silence of Grief, Loss, and Rage”
- Sheila Lamb, author of “The View From Cloquet”
- Read the full slate of stories about MMIR in our April 2021 issue
Sen. Mary Kunesh Explains the Central Issue
Nicole MartinRogers, Wilder Foundation: Why has this issue been so hard to track?
Mary Sam, a Mille Lacs perspective: Why is this considered an invisible topic in our rural communities?
Sheila Lamb, Cloquet City Council: How systems make it easier for violence to impact public safety
Action Step #1: Contact Legislators Now About SF 1989
SF 1989 would establish a small office focused on the MMIR crisis for two years, perhaps at $500K per year, to track, connect with officials, and work toward best practices at reducing the numbers of so many missing and murdered Indigenous people in Minnesota every month. The office is in danger of not being funded this year. The committee in charge of moving the bill forward is headed by Sen. Limmer and other Judiciary & Public Safety committee members.
Action Step #2: Encourage media and policing to improve its reporting
Action Step #3: Stand up and use your voice
