MMIR RALLY HELD IN MINNEAPOLIS

No more stolen sisters

PHOTOS By VICKI FLOR-BEHRENS AND NATE SABREE

Hundreds of people gathered at a rally for missing and murdered Indigenous women and relatives in Minneapolis on Tuesday, February 14, 2023.

Mille Lacs Band Victim Services staff Vicki Flor-Behrens, Shelter Manager, and Nate Sabree, Community Advocate, were able to attend on behalf of the Mille Lacs Band Victim Services department.

Speakers at the rally included Sen. Mary Kunesh, DFL-New Brighton, and Reps. Jamie Becker-Fin, DFL-Roseville, Heather Keeler, DFL-Moorhead, and Alicia Kozlowski, DFL-Duluth. Lawmakers in attendance pushed for more funding for the Office of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives. Other proposals in the Legislature include creating license plates to fund the office’s work and offering reward funds to encourage tips on cold cases. Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, who is a citizen of White Earth Band of Ojibwe, was invited but was unable to attend.

Following the speakers, participants marched in the rain in support of and to bring awareness to the facts of missing and murdered Indigenous women and relatives. Indigenous people represent approximately one percent of the population of Minnesota, yet are seven times more likely to experience violence, including murder. Oftentimes, the cases are not resolved.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, murder is the third leading cause of death for Indigenous women. A separate report from the National Institute of Justice found that more than 84% of Indigenous women have experienced violence