“This isn’t just an issue for indigenous people. This is an issue worldwide, but it happens to affect our communities at a higher prevalence.”
Gun Lake Tribal Council member Benjamin Brenner joined hundreds of community members, including those from three local Potawatomi Tribes, marching one mile through downtown Grand Rapids raising awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous People, or MMIP.
“This is a time when we can come together, hopefully heal a little bit, but also promote awareness and hopefully promote justice.”
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Native women face murder rates more than ten times that of the national average. Currently, there are more than 4,000 unsolved cases involving MMIP, and four out of five indigenous women have experienced violence in their lifetime.
Brenner hopes that Friday’s march brings a light to these disparities and says that while much has been done in Michigan to help his people, there’s more work to do.
“The fact that the government is actually allotting money and recognizing this issue more so than they have in the past, but also we can use those funds how we see fit to actually help our own citizens.”
