GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Hundreds of people from several tribes across Michigan gathered Tuesday to honor Missing and Murdered Indigenous People, with many saying they came to speak for those who can't speak for themselves.
Claudine Velasco, a member of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa Chippewa Indians, told me she was almost one of the people being remembered at the event.
"I'm a survivor of domestic violence. My life was almost taken several years ago, so I'm part of the statistics. Luckily, I survived," Velasco said.
Velasco and many others wore a red handprint across her face to symbolize the issue and said she was there to represent those who could not be.
"So I walk for those who have been silenced, and to bring awareness," Velasco said.
More than 4 in 5 American Indian and Alaska Native women have experienced violence, according to the National Institute of Justice.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that murder is the third-leading cause of death among American Indian and Alaska Native women on tribal lands.
Melissa Pope, chief judge of the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, said awareness is critical.
"It's important to have the knowledge. It's important to know what, what indigenous peoples are facing, and especially Indigenous women and girls," Pope said.
Pope said she often sees the impact of this violence in her role as a judge.
"We have to fix the criminal justice system. We need our inherent jurisdiction restored. We need the resources in order to fully, address the violence," Pope said.
Velasco said she hopes the gathering moves the community closer to a day when no one has to experience what she did.
"I think the importance of this is to just know that you're not alone. If you're suffering, there is help, and by standing together and walking together, we can make a difference," Velasco said.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer proclaimed May 5 as Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples Day.
