- Details
- By Levi Rickert
OPINION Hanna Harris, a tribal citizen of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, would have turned 30 on Thursday, May 5, 2022, had she lived. Instead, thousands of Native Americans and supporters observed Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day across America. May 5, Harris’ birthday, was set as a day of observance to those who go missing and murdered in Indian Country.
Harris was only 21 on July 4, 2013, when she left the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation to go into nearby Lame Deer, Montana, to watch the Independence Day fireworks. She never returned home. When her immediate family reported her missing, local law enforcement downplayed her disappearance. Four days later a volunteer search team found her badly decomposed body in the summer heat of the Great Plains. It was so decomposed, forensic technicians could not ascertain if she had been sexually assaulted or the cause of death.
Testimony from those responsible for her death confirmed Harris was raped and bludgeoned to death.
Harris’ horrific murder, observed through the 2018 Hanna’s Act, authorizes Montana Department of Justice to assist local law enforcement in missing persons cases.
Harris is honored by thousands of Native Americans on her birthday each year, with high probability many not knowing why May 5th is the missing and murdered Indigenous people awareness day. Still, Harris and countless other missing and murdered Indigenous persons are honored by Native Americans across the United States by wearing red, attending rallies, marathons and other community events. A common thread present in all the stories was violence perpetrated against Indigenous people.
On Wednesday, President Joe Biden, for the second year in a row, signed a proclamation recognizing Missing or Murdered Indigenous Awareness Day, 2022.
"My administration understands that Native people, particularly survivors of violence, know best what their communities need to feel safe. That is why we must work hand in hand with Tribal partners through each phase of the justice system to create solutions that are victim-centered, trauma-informed and culturally appropriate," President Biden said in the proclamation.
In Washington, on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day, wearing a red business suit, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo) draped a red cloth over a chair at the U.S. Department of the Interior, to signify the representation of a lost Indigenous person.
She did so before she began her announcement with Deputy U.S. Attorney General Lisa Monaco of the establishment of the long-awaited Not Invisible Act Joint Commission on Reducing Violent Crime Against Indians.
“People who have had an empty chair at their kitchen tables, loved ones who tirelessly searched for their relatives, service providers who hear the heartbreaking stories of family members of the missing, I want you to know that I see you and I stand with you,” Haaland said.
The Commission will focus on addressing violent crime within Indian lands and against American Indians and Alaska Natives.
On the Navajo Nation on Thursday, President Jonathan Nez and Vice President Myron Lizer signed a similar proclamation for the country’s largest reservation.
"Today, we extend our appreciation to our partners and volunteers who work hard to shine light on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives throughout Indian Country, including the Navajo Nation. Many families know the personal heartbreak and trauma of missing loved ones and we think of them and pray for them today. We can set a new tone of hope and healing for families and communities through awareness and support," President Nez said.
During the Navajo Nation observance, First Lady Nez joined President Nez in presenting a new Navajo Nation Missing Persons poster to increase awareness of efforts to bring loved ones home. The poster has photos of almost 60 individuals who have been missing since the 1970s. The poster shows 15 females and 44 males. The poster will be updated as needed, distributed to local communities and posted within the seven Navajo Nation police districts.
In March, I was on a panel at a university in Michigan. During the Q&A session, the dean of the university said she had only heard about the missing and murdered Indigenous women issue once before in a story in the New York Times.
Unfortunately, she is not alone. The mainstream media seldom covers this important issue.
I thought of the university dean and other non-Native people as I covered the missing and murdered Indigenous rally in downtown Grand Rapids on Thursday. There I was among my own family, friends and community members who were there to pay honor to those lost. During a prayer—with a crowd of hundreds silent—I could hear one speaker and the hum of the traffic from a nearby freeway as travelers went about their daily routines oblivious to an issue that is ever present and traumatic in tribal communities.
We were there to remember Hanna Harris and thousands with similar stories of Indigenous people gone missing and murdered. We need to stop the violence against our Native sisters and brothers.
More Stories Like This
The Military and CiviliansA Proud Milestone in Cherokee Innovation and Storytelling
Copper Mine or Future Homes? In the Battle for Arizona Water, the Mine Wins
Double Down on What Works: Invest in Native CDFIs, Don’t Eliminate Them
The Big Ugly Bill Attacks Tribes, Our Lands, and Our Rights
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
