FW: MSU honors national Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day with May 5 activities

MSU honors national Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day with May 5 activities

 

From MSU News Service

 

04/28/22  Contact: Nicholas Ross-Dick, ned@montana.edu, 406- 994-5529

 

Summary: Events including a panel, round dance, prayer walk and a community feed.

 

This story, and a photo that may be downloaded to accompany it, may be found on the web at: https://www.montana.edu/news/22067/

 

BOZEMAN – A slate of free events that honor and inform the community about national Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day of awareness has been scheduled for Thursday, May 5, at Montana State University.

 

All events are free and open to the public.

 

“Thoughtful and intentional programming will be available for students, staff, faculty and community members to participate and engage with,” said Maleeya Knows His Gun, an MSU nursing student from Ashland and Miss Indian MSU who is one of the co-chairpersons of the event with Kola Bad Bear. Bad Bear, a community health student from Pryor, is the starting forward on the MSU Bobcats women’s basketball team. Both students are members of the Crow Tribe.

 

“We wish to honor those in the various spaces of the reality of MMIP, from families and friends of missing relatives to community advocates and allies and to survivors. Our intention is this to be a safe space and one that can offer encouragement, hope and healing,” Knows His Gun said.

 

The day will begin with a self-guided exhibit, “We Are Still Here, and This Is Our Story,” featuring work by Indigenous women artists to honor and advocate for missing and murdered Indigenous people. The self-guided tour will be held from 9 to 10 a.m. in American Indian Hall.

 

A panel discussion will begin at 10 a.m. in American Indian Hall’s Dan Voyich Student Commons. Members of the panel include Cheryl Horn, an activist for missing and murdered Indigenous people and member of the Crow Tribe; artist Susan Stewart, who is also a member of the Crow Tribe; Nicholas Ross-Dick, program manager for MSU’s American Indian/Alaskan Native Students Success and a member of the Yakama Nation; and Terrel Alden, a student at Little Big Horn College who is a member of the Crow tribe. Kristie Russette, outreach coordinator and recruitment specialist for the MSU’s Department of Native American Studies and an enrolled member of the Chippewa Cree Tribe from Rocky Boy, will moderate.

 

The panel will be followed by a prayer walk from 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. that will begin and end on the Centennial Mall in the area between American Indian Hall and Roberts Hall. Participants are encouraged to wear red. The planning committee has partnered with the MSU Bookstore to offer apparel that promotes missing and murdered Indigenous people. There will also be a limited number of red T-shirts promoting awareness of the issue available for students who wish to participate in both listening to the panel and the prayer walk.

 

The prayer walk will be followed by a healing jingle dress and round dance with the Black Whistle Singers in front of American Indian Hall. A lunch will follow the round dance.

 

A talking circle, open to all, will begin at 2 p.m. in American Indian Hall.

 

American Indian Hall, located on the east end of the Centennial Mall, opened to the public at the beginning of MSU’s 2022 spring semester. Its ceremonial grand opening was in October.

 

For more information about MSU’s Department of Native American Studies, go to https://www.montana.edu/nativeamerican/.

 

 

-cs-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carol Schmidt, assistant director

MSU News

Montana State University
University Communications
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cschmidt@montana.edu

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