Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe honors missing and murdered Indigenous women and relatives

Honoring missing and murdered Indigenous women

The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe held a ceremony Thursday to honor the lives of missing and murdered Indigenous women and relatives, as communities across the country mark a national week of action.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe held a ceremony Thursday to honor the lives of missing and murdered Indigenous women and relatives, as communities across the country mark a national week of action.

"When we think about murdered and missing Indigenous women and relatives we want to send the message that we can’t have that anymore," said Melanie Benjamin, Chief Executive of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe.

People gathered to honor family members who have been killed and those who remain missing.

"My daughter was murdered by her boyfriend," said David Sam Jr. "She had decided to leave him and he decided to run her over."

Sam’s daughter Tanya Jean Skinaway was just 23 years old when she was killed, leaving behind a young family.

"I often wish, dream of being able to be with my daughter for five minutes," Sam said.

Indigenous people make up just 1% of the state’s population but 9% of all murdered women and girls in Minnesota are in fact American Indian, according to the Minnesota Office for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives (MMIR).

"Indigenous people, we’ve experienced so many hardships over the years. This is one of the biggest when you think where women are being sexually assaulted, domestic violence, not given any respect because they are an Indigenous woman," Benjamin said.

Across Minnesota, the first-of-its-kind state Office for MMIR is conducting outreach throughout the state.

"I’ve been going out this week and talking to communities about sex trafficking, human trafficking, and what to do when a loved one goes missing," said Tawny Smith-Savage, who is the violence prevention coordinator for Minnesota’s Office for MMIR.

Mille Lacs Chief Executive Director Melanie Benjamin said she is hopeful for more progress toward saving lives, adding that it "takes a community to help heal each and every one of us."

On Friday, advocates will be holding an event and walk to raise awareness on the issue at the Minnesota State Capitol grounds at noon.