HIGHLAND, CA – Members of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians MMIP Youth Advocacy Group hosted the second annual 5K walk at California State University, San Bernardino to raise funds and awareness for an epidemic of violence that has been plaguing Indigenous people and communities for years. The event, which raised more than $15,000, was held ahead of May, also known as MMIP Awareness Month in California.
More than 200 participants attended the event and walked to support and learn more about ongoing exploitation and harm against Indigenous people and Native American communities. Proceeds from the event will go to Ohkomi Forensics, a Native American-led non-profit that offers crucial services such as field and excavation, forensic anthropology, DNA testing, and advocacy.
Since 2019, the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians MMIP Youth Advocacy Group has been actively speaking out for survivors and victims through public awareness campaigns, legislative advocacy, and fundraising events.
“Indigenous people matter – no longer will our loved ones go missing or be harmed without justice,” said Raven Casas, a San Manuel Youth Advocate. “Together, with Native-led organizations, legislators, tribal leaders, and law enforcement, we will honor our people, our sisters and brothers, who have been ignored.”
A report by the Sovereign Bodies Institute, in collaboration with San Manuel, revealed that 63 percent of Indigenous people in California have experienced domestic or intimate partner violence. Additionally, the Urban Indian Health Institute discovered that only 153 out of 506 cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls were recorded in law enforcement records.
Despite being a largely unknown issue outside of Indigenous communities, public awareness is steadily growing. Notably, incremental progress is being made with passage of the Feather Alert Bill, which provides access to the California Highway Patrol’s state alert system to notify the public of Native American individuals who go missing, and through the efforts of community-based groups such as the San Manuel MMIP Youth Advocacy Group.
