- Details
- By Elyse Wild
Cole Brings Plenty (Mnicouju Lakota), 27-year-old nephew of famed Native American actor Mo Brings Plenty, has been missing since Sunday, March 31.
According to various media reports, Cole was last seen and heard from on Sunday. His vehicle, a white 2005 Ford Explorer with chipping paint, was seen exiting Lawrence, Kansas and heading southbound on U.S. Highway 59.
He is 5'10" and between 145-150 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. Cole is a student at Haskell Indian Nations University, where he studies media.
Cole, also an actor who has appeared on various television shows, missed an appointment with his agent, which is uncharacteristic of him, according to a missing persons flier.
The flier also notes that Cole's cell phone is turned off. His family filed a missing persons report with the Lawrence Police Department on Monday. His father, Joseph Brings Plenty, posted on Facebook, asking people to be on the lookout for Cole.
'If anyone knows where my son Cole Brings Plenty is, please tell him to call me,' Joseph wrote in his post. 'His family is very worried about him.'
Cole’s family did not reply to Native News Online’s request for comment at press time.
The Kansas City Indian Center is assisting in the search for Cole by spreading information and missing person fliers.
Executive Director Gaylene Crouser (Standing Rock Sioux Tribe) told Native News Online that they are in contact with Cole's family, who are not local to the Lawrence area and live in South Dakota.
Crouser noted the importance of amplifying missing Indigenous people cases. American Indian and Alaska Native peoples are at a disproportionate risk for violence, murder, and going missing. Jurisdictional gaps and systemic apathy leave many of these cases unsolved, culminating in what is known as the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples (MMIP) Crisis.
"A lot of times, our people fall through the cracks and don't get the attention that some other people do, especially with our men, " Crouser said. "We are really grateful to anyone who brings attention to this ... the more people who are looking for him, the sooner we will be able to find him."
If you have any information on Cole's whereabouts, contact the Lawrence Police Department at 785-832-7509 or the Kansas Bureau of Investigation at 785-296-4017.
More Stories Like This
Native News Weekly (August 25, 2024): D.C. BriefsUS Presidents in Their Own Words Concerning American Indians
Native News Weekly (August 4, 2024): D.C. Briefs
Tribal Nations Contribute $23.4 Billion to Oklahoma’s Economy
Church Play Depicting Navajo Medicine Man Causes an Uproar on Navajo Nation
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.
Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.
Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher
