Bemidji Area MMIW March Aims for Education and Awareness

Valentine’s Day may be a time to honor loved ones. But for others, the day marks a time of remembrance for those they’ve lost.

The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) 218 chapter held their annual march Tuesday in Bemidji to raise awareness for the relatives and loved ones they and others have lost.

The sound of a drumbeat led the crowd from the waterfront by Paul & Babe to the Beaux Arts Ballroom at Bemidji State University. This march was for one goal: to raise awareness of the high number of murdered and missing Indigenous people.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, on some reservations, Native American women are murdered at a rate more than 10 times the national average. In Minnesota, although Native American women and girls only make up 1% of the state’s population, 8% of all murdered women and girls are Indigenous.

A march has taken place in Bemidji since 2016. For its seventh year, MMIW 218 saw people of various ages participate to not only show their support, but also to educate others. Education efforts include teaching others about the symbols of the MMIW movement, which include the use of the color red and the handprint across one’s mouth.

“We’re surrounded by three reservations [in Bemidji] and so, the Native population here is very important,” said organizer Natasha Kingbird. “And we just want to educate and have support from our community as well.”

At the event, family members of Nevaeh Kingbird and Jeremy Jourdain spoke out against the violence that Native Americans face. Jourdain’s mother spoke against the lack of action by some law enforcement agencies in solving his disappearance, and Kingbird’s family shared the progress of a documentary regarding Nevaeh’s case. Both aimed to speak against the violence and look for healing.

After the presentations, a drum circle and dance was held for members to participate in.

The MMIW 218 chapter also raises funds and donates them to families like Kingbird’s and Jourdain’s to assist in ongoing search efforts. More information can be found on the MMIW 218 Facebook Page.