Keeping Us Whole: Preventing Missing and Murdered Indigenous People: Recent Episodes
Administration for Native Americans
For generations, American Indian, Alaskan Native and Native Hawaiian peoples have faced an ongoing crisis of violence, human trafficking, and an epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (also known as MMIP). To bolster prevention efforts to mitigate the MMIP epidemic, the Administration for Native Americans (ANA), a program office within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), collaborated with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary’s Interdepartmental Council on Native American Affairs (ICNAA) to develop a podcast series to raise awareness, provide prevention resources and educate listeners on MMIP. This 10-part podcast series includes interviews with a variety of speakers, from tribal leadership to federal partners, advocates, members of grassroots organizations and native athletes that have all joined together to raise awareness of the MMIP epidemic. This series identifies ways we can focus on prevention and the continued work of Keeping Us Whole.
This episode features Indigenous leaders and athletes using their athletic careers as platforms to serve, speak, and advocate for Indigenous communities on the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples (MMIP), what MMIP looks like in their own communities, and the biggest challenges impacting violence prevention. The speakers are Native athletes Jordan Marie Daniel (Lakota), Brent Cahwee (Pawnee/Yuchi), Wayne Runnels (Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes), and Shauna Long (Standing Rock Sioux).
This episode focuses on advocates working on the front lines protecting LGBTQ2 people from violence. The speakers discuss the major causes of LGBTQ2 violence, resources that Indigenous communities have available to prevent violence, and strategies that have been most effective in preventing anti-LGBTQ2 violence. The featured guests are Josie Raphaelito, MPH (Navajo), Senior Fellow with Western States Center developing Indigenizing Love: A Toolkit for Native American Youth to Build Inclusion and Lenny Hayes, MA (Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate), Owner/Operator Tate Topa Consulting, LLC.
This segment focuses on Head Start’s role in keeping children safe and the comprehensive approach of working with the whole child and their family. It discusses some exemplary practices being implemented by Head start that help to protect Indigenous children to reduce the risk of heading down a path that could make them vulnerable of becoming missing and murdered. The episode also includes discussion on the role that teachers, home visits, and health and mental specialists play in implementing these practices to support families to ensure that Indigenous children are safe in their homes. The speaker explores special interventions specifically to help protect these children, building on family strengths and recognizing culture as a protective factor. The featured guest is Patricia White Temple, Education Child Development Specialist at the Nez Perce Head Start Program.
This segment focuses on comprehensive and trauma-informed services in care and school settings. It defines the phrase “trauma-informed” and what this means in the context of teachers and other caregivers working with young children. It also discusses the positive impacts trauma-informed approaches can have on children, and how these impacts and other protective factors play a role in reducing the risk of Indigenous girls and boys becoming murdered or missing. Other topics include what more is needed to bring these practices and approaches to Head Start, childcare, and other programs and practitioners serving young children throughout Indigenous communities. The featured guests are Dr. Amy Wolferman, Director, School-Based Training and Technical Assistance at the National Native Children’s Trauma Center (NNCTC) and Kimee Wind Hummingbird (Muscogee Creek) Nation with Cherokee Descent), Training and Technical Assistance Specialist at NNCTC.
This segment focuses on the implications of the legislation surrounding the Indian Child Welfare Act and the risk factors that Indigenous children contend with once in the foster care system, increasing their vulnerabilities of becoming a Missing and Murdered Indigenous Person (MMIP). It discusses the tireless work of advocates, and why it is critical for continued awareness and legislation to safeguard our children, keep them within their culture and communities. The featured guest is Mary Kathryn Nagle (Cherokee), Partner at Pipestem Law and an award-winning playwright.
This segment features a personal experience of Carolyn DeFord, Puyallup Indian Tribe, a family survivor of a Missing and Murdered Indigenous Person, how her experience has impacted her personally and professionally, and her perspective on what is working in terms of prevention MMIP and what needs attention. She will discuss what she sees as the biggest opportunity to help prevent violence like trafficking and how the government and communities work together successfully.
Carolyn DeFord (Puyallup Indian Tribe) is the Trafficking Project Coordinator for the Puyallup Tribe of Indians and is the Founder of the Missing and Murdered Native Americans Facebook. She is an MMIWG advocate and daughter of missing person, mother, Leona LeClair Kinsey.
Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) Podcast Series: Keeping Us Whole, Preventing MMIP
Episode One: Preventing Violence
Segment 2: Cultural and Community Connectedness
This segment explores what culture and community have to do with violence and violence prevention. It will also discuss the kind of resources Indigenous communities have to prevent violence and how community members can take advantage of the resources. The featured guest is Sheldon Spotted Elk (Northern Cheyenne), Program Director of Tribal Justice Relations at the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges.
For generations, American Indian, Alaskan Native and Native Hawaiian peoples have faced an ongoing crisis of violence, human trafficking, and an epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (also known as MMIP). To bolster prevention efforts to mitigate the MMIP epidemic, the Administration for Native Americans (ANA), a program office within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), collaborated with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary’s Interdepartmental Council on Native American Affairs (ICNAA) to develop a podcast series to raise awareness, provide prevention resources and educate listeners on MMIP.
This podcast series includes interviews with a variety of speakers, from tribal leadership to federal partners, advocates, members of grassroots organizations and native athletes that have all joined together to raise awareness of the MMIP epidemic. This series identifies ways we can focus on prevention and the continued work of Keeping Us Whole.
This podcast episode features Delight Satter, MPH (Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde), who serves as the Senior Health Scientist within the Office of Tribal Affairs and Strategic Alliances in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Center for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Support.
This segment will continue to explore the public health approach to violence prevention and how this can impact Native communities. The major risk and prevention factors for MMIP will be discussed and how much overlap there is with prevention factors and other forms of violence. Unique risks or resources Native Americans will be shared and how risks accumulate over the course of a life.
For generations, American Indian, Alaskan Native and Native Hawaiian peoples have faced an ongoing crisis of violence, human trafficking, and an epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (also known as MMIP). To bolster prevention efforts to mitigate the MMIP epidemic, the Administration for Native Americans (ANA), a program office within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), collaborated with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary’s Interdepartmental Council on Native American Affairs (ICNAA) to develop a podcast series to raise awareness, provide prevention resources and educate listeners on MMIP.
This 10-part podcast series includes interviews with a variety of speakers, from tribal leadership to federal partners, advocates, members of grassroots organizations and native athletes that have all joined together to raise awareness of the MMIP epidemic. This series identifies ways we can focus on prevention and the continued work of Keeping Us Whole.
This first podcast episode features Administration for Native Americans Deputy Commissioner Hope MacDonald Lone Tree (Navajo).
This segment will explore the public health approach to violence prevention and how this can impact Native communities. It will provide the definition of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) and why it is important to define the MMIP crisis. The major risk and prevention factors for MMIP will be discussed and how much overlap there is with prevention factors and other forms of violence. Unique risks or resources Native Americans will be shared and how risks accumulate over the course of a life.
The MMIP Podcast Series is hosted by Chance Lee Rush, Executive Director or Our Native Men. He is a member of the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. Chance is a well known Indigenous Motivational Speaker and Master of Ceremonies traveling throughout the United States and Canada supporting native youth and tribal communities. He is also an Actor, Athlete, Life Coach, Pastor, Husband and father of seven children.
"I am honored to travel with you on this journey - haho, Thank you, for listening".