April 30th, 2022 MMIR PowWow Event Gallery

February 14th, 2022 MMIW Gathering on the Daley Center Plaza

While Valentine’s Day for most is a day to celebrate intimacy, relationships and love, for some the day brings violence between partners. Presenters & Speakers on February 14th spoke for those who’ve lost loved ones and who look for hope in the fight against domestic abuse. In that spirit participants promoted the rally’s theme that “Love Shouldn’t Hurt, No More MMIW!”

February 14th, 2022 Event Program:

11-11:15 Opening Prayer
11:15-11:30 Introduction
11:30-12:30 MMIW Speakers
12:00-1:00 Drums/Dancers
12:30-1:00 Drums/Dancers
1:00-1:30 Closing Prayer
Emcee
Sarina DiMaso – Chiricahua Apache/Oglala Lakota/Taino (Recovery Relapse Peer Support Prevention Counselor, AIHSC)
Co-Emcee
Brian Frejo – Pawnee/Seminole (Cultural Coordinator, AIHSC)
Presenters
Kaitlynn Johnson (Domestic Violence Coordinator, AIHSC) • Shandiin Begay – Navajo Dine’ (Behavioral Health Counselor, AIHSC)
Speakers
Naimah Latif – Cherokee (President of Latif Communications Group) • John Pappan – Omaha/Pawnee (Two-Spirit Indigenous Council of Omaha NE)
Kathy Piccione – Chippewa (Kathleen Piccione Fine Art) • Susan Ka’iulani Stanton – Hawaiian/Haudenosaunee (Grandmothers Circle of the Earth)
Dancers
Elias Francisco, Olivia Francisco, Theresa Seidel, Michael Pamonicutt, Jessica Pamonicutt
Singers
Brian Frejo, Winfield Red Cloud

February 14th, 2022 MMIW Event Gallery

MMIW • 2021 Awareness Event (Murdered & Missing Indigenous Women & Girls)

In 2019 Congress passed a resolution declaring May 5th as National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. To promote awareness for the epidemic of unaccountable violence committed against indigenous women and girls, AIHSC, American Indian Center-Chicago, Native American Chamber of Commerce of Illinois, St. Kateri Center, Trickster Cultural Center and Forest Preserves of Cook County sponsored an event on May 1st, 2021 to tell the story of those gone missing and the obstacles that the native community has faced historically to prosecute cases and seek justice for these women and their families.

This event featured speakers on the issue of MMIW including those who’ve lost their loved ones. A prayer ceremony, an honor dance featuring dancers, drums and singers were a part of the program.

Univison Exposé REAL AMERICA Covers MMIW

Univision’s Jorge Ramos’ investigative piece about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls reaches out to activists and key figures who are shedding light on the historical tragedy of MMIW. Ramos spoke with US Secretary of the Interior, and the first Native American to hold a federal office, Deborah Haaland about Biden Administration plans to use the power of the US government to investigate and bring attention to this crisis in Indian Country.

Click on the REAL AMERICA image below to watch the video exposé.

May 1st, 2021 Event Program:

10:00 H. Alex Bautista, Deputy Director at Illinois Dept. of Human Rights
10-10:15 Elder Blessing of Event
10:15-11:00 Elder talking Circle
11:00-12:00 Kristen Welch & Alysse Arce – Speakers
12:00-1:00 Drums/Dancers

1:00-2:00 Kristen Welch & Alysse Arce – Speakers
2:00-3:00 Drums/Dancers — Closing Prayer

Speakers:

Kristin Welch- President and Founder, Waking Women’s Healing Institute
Alysse Arce, Daughter of Rae Ellaine Toutillot (MMIW)

Public events still maintain safe distancing procedures. Please follow CDC guidelines to wear masks in public and keep social distancing at 6 feet or more to marginalize the spread of COVID-19.

Acknowledgements:

AIHSC would like to thank these contributors, sponsors and partners for their substantial and tireless contributions!
• Andrew Johnson – Executive Director Native American Chamber of Commerce of Illinois.
• Kristin Welch – Executive Director and Founder Waking Women Healing Institute
• Jody Roy – Director St. Kateri Center of Chicago
• Melodi Serna – Interim Executive Director American Indian Center
• Brenda Peltier – American Indian Health Center Board Member
• Michele Mottlowitz – Nature Center Director River Trail Nature Center
• Timothy Mondl – River Trail Nature Center
• Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council

May 1st, 2021 MMIW Event Gallery

Learn More About MMIW

Historically thousands of missing or murdered indigneous women and girls in the U.S., Alaska and Canada have not had cases filed, investigated or prosecuted. Jurisdictional conflicts between states and tribes, lack of law enforcement resources, lack of judicial and political resources has allowed thousands of missing or murdered women and girls’ incidents to pass without any justice. In 2021 President Biden appointed Deborah Haaland to be Secretary of the Interior and among her first undertakings was to create a task force unit mandated to investigate MMIW cases in the United States.

• Congress passed Savanna’s Act, Public Law No: 116-165 – DOJ to develop law enforcement and justice protocols for MMIW.
• Sec. of Interior Deborah Haaland to create Bureau of Indian Affairs unit to investigate murdered and missing Native Americans.

MMIW Sites and Resources

Please check out these links to learn more about MMIW.