MMIP Dinner

Family and Community Wellness Department Victim Services Division put together a Missing and/or Murdered Indigenous people event on October 28th 2022. More than 100 people RSVP'd for this event that took place at the Howonquet Hall Community Center in Smith River. At the MMIP event we hung red dresses and red shirts on cloth lines that symbolizes the missing and murdered indigenous men and woman. California has the largest population of Native Americans of any state in the United States and the fifth largest caseload of missing and murdered indigenous people. The MMIP crisis of indigenous people experience violence, going missing, and being murdered at rates higher than any other ethnic group.

To sherd some light on the MMIP crisis in our area we had two guest speakers. One of which was Tara Lopez, a Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation citizen. We also had Dr. Joseph Giovannetti, who is a tribal psychology ethno historian and a TDN council member. Each speaker spoke about their experiences with losing loved ones and how hard it has been on them and their families. We also held a raffle of beautiful handmade beaded necklaces, earrings, hair sticks and a one of a kind MMIP shawl. The goal of our MMIP event was to hold a safe space where non-native and native community members can hear and learn more about the MMIP crisis and what we all can do together to help our community heal and find solutions on this matter.