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MMIW Awareness Day is May 5th, and Pow Wow Season Guidance for Visitors

MN Native News

A drum group leads songs and chants for the 2024 MMIW Day of Action in Minneapolis, near the East Phillips Community Center.
Photo Credit: Emma Needham

May 5th is MMIW Awareness Day — a day to honor Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit people, with events statewide. Plus, pow wow season kicks off in Spring, and pow wow planners provide guidance, especially for those new to attending these events.

TRANSCRIPT

[sound element: flute music (Minnesota Native News theme)]

ANCHOR: This is Minnesota Native News, I’m Marie Rock. May 5th is MMIW Awareness Day — a day to honor Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit people, with events statewide.


[sound element: 2024 MMIW chant and drumming “…No More Stolen Relatives!…” Credit: Emma Needham]

MARIE ROCK: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Office, part of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, is also helping lead support and outreach efforts. 


ANA NEGRETE: My name is Ana Negrete and I am Otomi Tribe, of Northern Mexico. I am the community planner. Really proud of the state’s stance to see MMIR as a public safety issue.


[Ambient audio: 2024 MMIR Day of Remembrance, Minneapolis. Speaker: “….I did want to add, too that, as it’s been mentioned, you know we have the first in the nation Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Office.” Credit: Emma Needham]

NEGRETE: We have February 14th, Minnesota’s Day of Remembrance, and then May 5th as the National Day for MMIR Families, so I help organize those.

[Ambient MMIR Event Audio …” thank you for supporting….(fades out) Credit: Emma Needham”]

ROCK: Minnesota events are scheduled in Minneapolis, Bemidji, and Duluth.


[Ambient MMIR Event Audio …(fades in) …our missing and murdered Indigenous relatives…”.(fades out) Credit: Emma Needham]

ROCK: Indigenous Women experience violence, disappearances and murder at significantly higher rates than other communities.

[Ambient: Speaker from MMIR Event 2024 (fades in)  “(speaker, holding back tears) …without their loved ones, their children……You guys hold your kids close, your relatives…” (fades out) Credit: Emma Needham]

ROCK: If you want to show your support, you can wear red on May 5th, attend a local event, or consider getting the state MMIW license plate for your car. 

NEGRETE: They’re a specialty plate like you can get for different causes and any one can purchase the plates. And $25 of the purchase of the plate feeds back into the Gagigay Mikwendaagoziiwag reward fund, which means “They Will  Be Remembered Forever.”

[Ambient audio: 2024 MMIR Day of Remembrance, Minneapolis. Speaker: “…. To work with all of you to really and truly, make a difference…” Credit: Emma Needham]


NEGRETE: So those funds help support the billboards, the search. We love to see them. And I know families do too.”


[Ambient audio: Cheering at the 2024 MMIR Day of Remembrance, Minneapolis.  Credit: Emma Needham]


ROCK: In Minnesota, you don’t have to wait to file a report for a missing loved one. Always call 911 first.


[Ambient: MMIW Event and Chanting 2024. Credit: Emma Needham]

ROCK: For Minnesota Native News, I’m Marie Rock. 

ANCHOR: Up next,  guidance for visitors ahead of the upcoming pow wow season, particularly for those new to attending these community events. Here’s Emma Needham, with more.


[Ambient: (Strong beat on Pow wow drum fades in) Credit: Jill Spencer]

EMMA NEEDHAM: Tribal communities and organizations across the state host powwows throughout the spring and summer seasons. Many are open to the public, welcoming non-Indigenous people to celebrate and learn about tribal culture. 

JILL SPENCER: “So we really take into consideration our Indigenous community, our dancers that we’re inviting to participate and share their teachings, but we’re also considering who’s coming and what base of knowledge do they have?”

NEEDHAM: Jill Spencer is the senior American Indian Liaison for Mounds View Schools, which just finished hosting their 7th annual pow wow. Their pow wow is educational.

Spencer:  “I’ve never been to a powwow before. What do I do? How do I act? Can I take pictures? Who do I ask? Who should I talk to? But we also really try to incorporate some of those social parts of a powwow, like round ) dances. How can we really get our community to engage and participating in the powwow.”

[Ambient: (Strong beat on Pow wow drum fades out) Credit: Jill Spencer] [Ambient: MVPS Pow Wow Grand Entry, with Emcee speaking. Credit: Jill Spencer] 

NEEDHAM: Felicia Galvan also works at Mounds View Schools.  She helped plan this year’s pow wow and explains the importance of the announcer for the pow wow, known as the MC.   


[Ambient: (MVPS Pow Wow Grand Entry, with Emcee speaking fades in, runs in background)] 

GALVAN: Because I think some folks, like, will hear the MC talk but they don’t really process that they’re part of the crowd that the MC is talking to you. I think there’s a disconnect between our non-native community members who come to powwow and want to participate but I don’t think they really include themselves.”

NEEDHAM: Timing at pow wows is flexible, even for events or dances. It begins when everyone is ready, which is not always at the advertised time.  

[Ambient: (MVPS Pow Wow Grand Entry, with Emcee speaking fades out)Credit: Jill Spencer] 

GALVAN: “I definitately run into a number of folks who are like “I can’t go for the whole time” and I’m like “That’s totally okay,” you know? Come in, drop in, bring a friend!” 


NEEDHAM: Mounds View School Senior Indian Liaison Jill Spencer says guidance is helpful but reminds people to consider the diversity of tribal nations.   

[Ambient: (Strong beat on Pow wow drum fades in) Credit: Jill Spencer]


SPENCER: “There’s not just one nation. We’re all not just one group of people with one language, with one set of teachings. How do we help people understand that in a really good way?”

[Ambient: (Strong beat on Pow wow drum fades out) Credit: Jill Spencer]

NEEDHAM: For details on upcoming pow wows in Minnesota, visit Tribal Nation news outlets, school community event pages, or search online. For Minnesota Native News, I’m Emma Needham. 

[sound element: flute music (Minnesota Native News theme)]

Anchor Marie Rock: Minnesota Native News is produced by AMPERS, diverse radio for Minnesota’s communities, made possible by funding from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota.

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