The current reports of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) and Two-Spirit people are alarming and represent a horrific trend of violence committed against Native people and communities. In the United States, murder is the third-leading cause of death among Native women. On some reservations, the murder rate of Native women is more than ten times the national average. These disappearances and murders are often connected to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking and sex trafficking. Despite the prevalence of this crisis, these stories are going largely unnoticed in media and popular culture and perpetrators are rarely held accountable. Indigenous leaders throughout our region have been and continue to lead the charge in illuminating these horrific cases and seeking community-centered solutions and justice.

Join us for an insightful discussion as we explore this issue alongside community leaders, and continue to define the role that philanthropy can play in addressing this crisis.

Speakers

Roxanne White, Advocate & Grassroots Organizer, Founder of MMIP & Families

Roxanne is a dedicated organizer and social justice advocate. She is Nez Perce, Yakama, Nooksack and A’aninin (Gros Ventre). Roxanne’s ability to do this work comes at the high cost of being a family member of MMIP, a survivor of human trafficking, domestic violence, childhood abduction and sexual abuse. She draws on her personal lived experiences to empower and support MMIP families, survivors and Native communities. Roxanne is recognized nationally for her work on issues related to MMIP and their families and joins us today as the founder of MMIP & Families.
 

Ivan MacDonald, Filmmaker, “When They Were Here”

Ivan MacDonald is a Blackfeet Filmmaker based in Montana. He is an Emmy winning Producer and his most recent producing project, Blackfeet Boxing won Best Short Documentary at the 2021 Sports Emmy Awards. He is a current fellow with the Firelight Media Documentary Lab program and is an alumni of Tracy Rector's Fourth World Media Lab. He is currently directing his first feature length documentary titled ”When They Were Here” which is supported by ITVS and Vision Maker Media.

Moderator

Karen Cunningham, Program Officer, Group Health Foundation

As a program officer, Karen develops and nurtures relationships with community members and organizations around the Tri-Cities region, connecting those doing important work in their communities to the Foundation’s resources. She arrives at the organization by way of the Yakama Nation, of which she’s an enrolled member and previously served as economic development director. In her role, she helped reinstate transit services to the reservation and developed business opportunities that preserved history, reinforced cultural values and improved overall quality of life.
 

Eligibility 

Participation in this meeting is open to philanthropic organizations that currently make grants. This includes corporate giving offices, private and public foundations, community foundations, government grantmakers and CDFI institutions with a philanthropic focus. You do not need to be a Philanthropy Northwest member to participate, but do need to represent an organizational philanthropic institution. Please do not join this call if you are a nonprofit organization. If you are unsure about your eligibility, please contact JulieAnne Behar.