On the back of his off-white 2011 Majestic E-450 RV, Duane Garvais Lawrence had written “MMIW” on the top of the rear window in red ink. Below, 77 names of native women were carefully written.

“We have about 30 more names to add to this list today,” he said, referring to the new names given to him by tribes in Washington and Idaho. These are the names of murdered and missing Indigenous women from across the Pacific Northwest and beyond. “We will add them after the race today.”

Indigenous members and supporters came to show their solidarity with murdered and missing Indigenous women during the 2021 MMIW Bike Run.

Garvais Lawrence created a stir after reading Savanna’s Act, a set of law enforcement and justice protocols for dealing with missing or murdered Native Americans, most of whom were women.

“It touched me as a father,” he said. Garvais Lawrence counts five daughters among his seven children with his wife, LoVina Louie.

Garvais Lawrence hosted the inaugural race last year, with few supporters due to the pandemic. He persisted, noting that violence against Indigenous women has been a problem for centuries. Indigenous women are 10 times more likely to be kidnapped or murdered with little or no conviction rate, according to a US Department of Justice study.

The cross-country race, which started in Olympia at the Washington State Capitol, will end in Washington, DC. The goal is to meet Deb Haaland, Home Secretary and the first Native American to serve as Cabinet Secretary. In this capacity, Haaland oversees public lands, national parks and wildlife refuges, as well as the Office of Indian Affairs.

“We want to sit down and talk with her to see if we can create some kind of new law or legislative action, where if you are the American lawyer and I present a case to you, she will not be included in their prosecution file. “Said Gervais Lawrence.” If they know that these cases (about missing and murdered Indigenous women) aren’t going to give them a chance to win, they won’t take it into their own hands.

Last week’s run in Idaho began at the Church of the Mission of the Sacred Heart through reserved land and ended 40 miles north of Fighting Creek. Before the morning run, Garvais Lawrence and members of the community held a tribal ceremony.

Garvais Lawrence, a member of the Colville and Assiniboine Sioux tribes, and his eldest daughter, Daisy Garvais, squeezed red paint on their hands. Red represents the blood that binds the tribes, but also the blood spilled by missing women.

“This color is violence but also strength and love,” said Daisy Garvais. “Red is a powerful color in Aboriginal culture. “

University of Washington runner and Cowlitz Tribe member Rosalie Fish popularized the red hand symbol after competing at the 2019 Washington State 1B Track and Field Championships in Cheney. the hand is placed over the mouth, a symbol of how indigenous women are taken from behind. and pushed into vehicles, never to be seen again.

Ash-colored clouds brought a slight, steep pinch during the hand-painting session. Garvais Lawrence began to applaud the rain.

But for Marlene Sproul, a member of the Coeur d’Alene tribe, who stood nearby as the rain fell, an overwhelming wave of pain and grief lingered. Her younger sister, Tina Marie Finley, went missing on March 7, 1988.

“We still haven’t located it and it still hurts,” Sproul said. “They said this stuff heals, but the pain never goes away. It’s a hole in your heart that can never be filled.

The run was a reminder, highlighting individual distress, but a piece of the puzzle of the generational violence and trauma that permeates the Indigenous population.

“We are all a tribe, all married to each other and linked as parents,” Sproul said. “When a person goes missing, we all feel it. We all know where this person lives and what family they belong to. It’s a chain reaction between all of us.

After moving behind the church, the ceremony began with Louie’s tearful dedication to the 3,213 bodies of Indigenous children recently found in mass graves at residential schools in the United States and Canada. She decorated eight armbands for runners to wear at their checkpoints, which must be delivered to Haaland when MMIW travelers arrive in Washington, DC Her parents, Jeanie and Deb Louie, who attended the ceremony, both attended survived boarding schools as a teenager.

“We can only pray that murdered children and missing and murdered women are reunited in the spiritual realm,” said Deb Louie.

Gene “Hemi” James, secretary-treasurer of the Coeur d’Alene Tribal Council, paid tribute to his mother, who was murdered by her non-native boyfriend on June 10, 1995. The native youth performed traditional songs and ceremonial before the race as elders. conducts prayer songs. Following the ceremony, eagle feathers, a symbol of Louie and Garvais Lawrence’s partnership, family and tribal ties, were presented to those who participated in the 40-mile hike to Fighting Creek. Sproul and his sister, Debora Garcia, and his niece Mandy Long, wore the eagle feathers first, as Finley’s closest relative.

“This race is for Tina Marie Finley,” Garvais Lawrence reminded the group. “Think about her with every step. Every inch is for Tina today.

The runners tied the eagle feathers in their hair and continued on the journey in honor of Finley, 40 miles away to Fighting Creek and 2,504 miles from Haaland’s office in the nation’s capital.

DE SMET, Idaho – On the back of his off-white 2011 Majestic E-450 RV, Duane Garvais Lawrence had written “MMIW” on the rear window in red ink. Below, 77 names of native women were carefully written.

“We have about 30 more names to add to this list today,” he said, referring to the new names given to him by tribes in Washington and Idaho. These are the names of murdered and missing Indigenous women from across the Pacific Northwest and beyond. “We will add them after the race today.”

Indigenous members and supporters came to show their solidarity with murdered and missing Indigenous women during the 2021 MMIW Bike Run, which stopped in De Smet on Tuesday morning.

Garvais Lawrence created a stir after reading the Savanna’s Act, a set of law enforcement and justice protocols for dealing with missing or murdered Native Americans, most of whom were women.

“It touched me as a father,” he said. Garvais Lawrence counts five daughters among his seven children with his wife, LoVina Louie.

Garvais Lawrence hosted the inaugural race last year, without many supporters due to the pandemic. He persisted, noting that violence against Indigenous women had been a dilemma for centuries.

In modern times, Indigenous women are 10 times more likely to be kidnapped or murdered with little or no conviction rate, according to US Department of Justice research.

The cross-country race, which started in Olympia at the Washington State Capitol, will end in Washington, DC

The goal is to meet Deb Haaland, Home Secretary and the first Native American to serve as Cabinet Secretary. In this capacity, Haaland oversees public lands, national parks and wildlife refuges, as well as the Office of Indian Affairs.

“We want to sit down and talk to her to see if we can create some kind of new law or legislative action, where if you are the American lawyer, and I bring you a case, it will not be included in their prosecution file.” “said Gervais Lawrence.” If they know these cases (about missing and murdered Indigenous women) aren’t going to give them a chance to win, they’re not going to take it into their own hands.

Tuesday’s run in Idaho began at the Sacred Heart Mission Church through reserve lands and ended 40 miles north of Fighting Creek.

Before the morning run, Garvais Lawrence and members of the community held a tribal ceremony.

Garvais Lawrence, a member of the Colville and Assiniboine Sioux tribes, and his eldest daughter, Daisy Garvais, squeezed red paint on their hands. The red represents the blood that binds the tribes, but also the spilled blood of missing women.

“This color is violence but also strength and love,” said Daisy Garvais. “Red is a powerful color in Aboriginal culture. “

University of Washington runner and Cowlitz Tribe member Rosalie Fish popularized the red hand symbol after competing at the 2019 Washington State 1B Track and Field Championships in Cheney.

The imprint of the hand is placed on the mouth, a symbol of how Indigenous women are taken from behind and pushed into vehicles, never to be seen again.

Ash-colored clouds, mistakenly identified as hazy smoke, produced a light, steep spray during the hand-painting session. Garvais Lawrence began to applaud the rain.

“Isn’t that healing?” Laurent asked. Indigenous cultures see rain as a symbol of renewal, change and growth.

But for Marlene Sproul, a member of the Coeur d’Alene tribe, who stood nearby as the rain fell, an overwhelming wave of pain and grief lingered. Her younger sister, Tina Marie Finley, went missing on March 7, 1988.

“We still haven’t located it and it still hurts,” Sproul said. “They said this stuff heals, but the pain never goes away. It’s a hole in your heart that can never be filled.

The run was a reminder, highlighting individual distress, but a piece of the puzzle of the generational violence and trauma that permeates the Indigenous population.

“We are all a tribe, all married to each other and linked as parents,” Sproul said. “When a person goes missing, we all feel it. We all know where this person lives and what family they belong to. It’s a chain reaction between all of us.

After moving behind the church, the ceremony began with Louie’s tearful dedication to the 3,213 bodies of Indigenous children recently found in mass graves at residential schools in the United States and Canada.

She decorated eight armbands for runners to wear at their checkpoints, which must be delivered to Haaland when MMIW travelers arrive in Washington, DC Her parents, Jeanie and Deb Louie, who attended the ceremony, both attended survived boarding schools as a teenager.

“We can only pray that murdered children and missing and murdered women are reunited in the spiritual realm,” said Deb Louie.

Gene “Hemi” James, secretary-treasurer of the Coeur d’Alene Tribal Council, paid tribute to his mother, who was murdered by her non-native boyfriend on June 10, 1995. The native youth performed traditional songs and ceremonies before the race as elders. conducts prayer songs.

Following the ceremony, eagle feathers, a symbol of Louie and Garvais Lawrence’s partnership, family and tribal ties, were presented to those who participated in the 40-mile hike to Fighting Creek.

Sproul and his sister, Debora Garcia, and his niece Mandy Long, wore the eagle feathers first, as Finley’s closest relative.

DE SMET, IDAHO – On the back of his off-white 2011 Majestic E-450 RV, Duane Garvais Lawrence had written “MMIW” on the rear window in red ink. Below, 77 names of native women were carefully written.

“We have about 30 more names to add to this list today,” he said, referring to the new names given to him by tribes in Washington and Idaho. These are the names of murdered and missing Indigenous women from across the Pacific Northwest and beyond. “We will add them after the race today.”

Indigenous members and supporters came to show their solidarity with murdered and missing Indigenous women during the 2021 MMIW Bike Run, which stopped in De Smet on Tuesday morning.

Garvais Lawrence created a stir after reading the Savanna’s Act, a set of law enforcement and justice protocols for dealing with missing or murdered Native Americans, most of whom were women.

“It touched me as a father,” he said. Garvais Lawrence counts five daughters among his seven children with his wife, LoVina Louie.

Garvais Lawrence hosted the inaugural race last year, without many supporters due to the pandemic. He persisted, noting that violence against Indigenous women had been a dilemma for centuries. In modern times, Indigenous women are 10 times more likely to be kidnapped or murdered with little or no conviction rate, according to US Department of Justice research.

The cross-country race, which started in Olympia at the Washington State Capitol, will end in Washington, DC The goal is to meet Deb Haaland, Home Secretary and first Native American to serve as secretary of the Cabinet. In this capacity, Haaland oversees public lands, national parks and wildlife refuges, as well as the Office of Indian Affairs.

“We want to sit down and talk with her to see if we can create some kind of new law or legislative action, where if you are the American lawyer and I present a case to you, she will not be included in their prosecution file. “Said Gervais Lawrence.” If they know that these cases (about missing and murdered Indigenous women) won’t give them a chance to win, they won’t take the case into their own hands.

Tuesday’s run in Idaho began at the Sacred Heart Mission Church through reserve lands and ended 40 miles north of Fighting Creek. Before the morning run, Garvais Lawrence and members of the community held a tribal ceremony.

Garvais Lawrence, a member of the Colville and Assiniboine Sioux tribes, and his eldest daughter, Daisy Garvais, squeezed red paint on their hands. The red represents the blood that binds the tribes, but also the spilled blood of missing women.

“This color is violence but also strength and love,” said Daisy Garvais. “Red is a powerful color in Aboriginal culture. “

University of Washington runner and Cowlitz Tribe member Rosalie Fish popularized the red hand symbol after competing at the 2019 Washington State 1B Track and Field Championships in Cheney. the hand is placed over the mouth, a symbol of how indigenous women are taken from behind. and pushed into vehicles, never to be seen again.

Ash-colored clouds, mistakenly identified as hazy smoke, produced a light, steep spray during the hand-painting session. Garvais Lawrence began to applaud the rain.

“Isn’t that healing?” Laurent asked. Indigenous cultures see rain as a symbol of renewal, change and growth.

But for Marlene Sproul, a member of the Coeur d’Alene tribe, who stood nearby as the rain fell, an overwhelming wave of pain and grief lingered. Her younger sister, Tina Marie Finley, went missing on March 7, 1988.

“We still haven’t located it and it still hurts,” Sproul said. “They said this stuff heals, but the pain never goes away. It’s a hole in your heart that can never be filled.

The run was a reminder, highlighting individual distress, but a piece of the puzzle of the generational violence and trauma that permeates the Indigenous population.

“We are all a tribe, all married to each other and linked as parents,” Sproul said. “When a person goes missing, we all feel it. We all know where this person lives and what family they belong to. It’s a chain reaction between all of us.

After moving behind the church, the ceremony began with Louie’s tearful dedication to the 3,213 bodies of Indigenous children recently found in mass graves at residential schools in the United States and Canada. She decorated eight armbands for runners to wear at their checkpoints, which must be delivered to Haaland when MMIW travelers arrive in Washington, DC Her parents, Jeanie and Deb Louie, who attended the ceremony, both attended survived boarding schools as a teenager.

“We can only pray that murdered children and missing and murdered women are reunited in the spiritual realm,” said Deb Louie.

Gene “Hemi” James, secretary-treasurer of the Coeur d’Alene Tribal Council, paid tribute to his mother, who was murdered by her non-native boyfriend on June 10, 1995. The native youth performed traditional songs and ceremonies before the race as elders. conducts prayer songs. Following the ceremony, eagle feathers, a symbol of Louie and Garvais Lawrence’s partnership, family and tribal ties, were presented to those who participated in the 40-mile hike to Fighting Creek. Sproul and his sister, Debora Garcia, and his niece Mandy Long, wore the eagle feathers first, as Finley’s closest relative.

“This race is for Tina Marie Finley,” Garvais Lawrence reminded the group. “Think about her with every step. Every inch is for Tina today.

Tina’s family walked down Moctelme Road and passed the feathers to supporters just before Desmet Road. The runners tied the eagle feathers in their hair and continued on the journey in Finley’s honor, 40 miles away to Fighting Creek and 2,504 miles away from Haaland’s office in the nation’s capital.

The US Department of Justice is once again accepting requests from federally recognized Native American tribes for access to its National Crime Reporting System and other databases, which include fingerprint biometrics.

The six-year-old Tribal Access Program currently provides 99 of the 574 recognized American Indian tribes or groups with access to systems, including the Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) database, at for criminal and non-criminal purposes authorized by the federal government.

The two-tier service allows controlled tribes to perform name-based registration checks and enter property and people information (the so-called TAP-Light tier) or use the material provided by the DOJ to conduct fingerprint-based searches of the FBI’s Next-Generation Identification System. .

It is not clear whether tribes are assigned to just one of the levels.

The Department of Justice also provides training, software and kiosks for collecting biometric and biographical data as part of the program.

The application window this year is July 1 to August 31 and selections will be made in September.

Eligible tribes must have at least one of the four abilities and agree to use the biometric program to facilitate these functions.

First, a group must maintain a sex offender registry authorized by the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act.

He must also employ a law enforcement agency that has the power to stop.

Third, it must be a tribal court capable of issuing protection orders.

Finally, a tribe must have an agency that selects people for foster care or examines allegations of child abuse and neglect.

Articles topics

biometric database | biometric identification | biometrics | criminal identification | FBI | fingerprint recognition | police

Along the California-Oregon border, the Klamath Basin is in the midst of a record drought, pitting farmers against native tribes with historic water rights who are trying to protect endangered fish .

AILSA CHANG, HOST:

In the drought-stricken Klamath Basin along the California-Oregon border, water is precious. This year, Native American tribes and farmers are fighting over this declining resource. It is an indicator of future water wars in the West. Erik Neumann of Jefferson Public Radio explains.

(EXTRACT OF THE ENGINE RUNNING)

ERIK NEUMANN, BYLINE: Biologist Alex Gonyaw runs his Boston Whaler along the eastern shore of Upper Klamath Lake. It shows what it says is abundant habitat.

ALEX GONYAW: It’s a mosaic of cattails, willows, and tulips, or rushes.

NEUMANN: Almost 30 miles long, Upper Klamath Lake is home to several species of fish that only live here.

GONYAW: So the more hiding places there are for juvenile creatures, the better they generally tend to do.

NEUMANN: Two of them are called C’waam and Koptu in the traditional language of the Klamath tribes or, in English, the lost river and the shortnose sucker. Gonyaw says that in recent years, Koptu’s population has fallen to near extinction levels, from 20,000 to just 3,400 fish. The probable cause – poor water quality and loss of habitat caused by low water in this shallow lake.

GONYAW: There is probably a catastrophic event in the next few years.

NEUMANN: In addition to being protected under the Endangered Species Act, fish are culturally important to the Klamath tribes. They have historically survived on them.

At a recent gathering near Klamath Falls, Tribe President Don Gentry explained how the Klamath people prayed for the fish to return after harsh winters.

DON GENTRY: These fish are so important. We probably wouldn’t be here without these fish that have helped us survive.

NEUMANN: Gentry says tensions over the drought have given rise to underlying feelings about tribes.

GENTRY: There are racist comments going out, and, you know, people marginalize fish, the importance of fish and our tribes, and our treaty rights.

NEUMANN: The whole situation illustrates a problem with the treaty between the US government and the tribes. In 1864, the Klamath tribes ceded around 20 million acres of land in exchange for the right to hunt and fish.

GENTRY: What’s the point of a treaty if you don’t have the resources?

NEUMANN: Resources being fish, the Klamath tribes aren’t the only ones struggling with drought. This year, for the first time ever, farmers in the basin received virtually no water from the lake to irrigate crops.

One recent Thursday inside a red and white striped circus tent erected at the southern end of the lake, residents held a meeting at this self-proclaimed water crisis information center. BJ Soper, with the far-right People’s Rights Oregon group, addressed the crowd.

BJ SOPER: But I wanted to make a presentation that we prepared very quickly – understanding our rights when the government refuses to follow the law.

NEUMANN: The tent was intentionally placed in front of the head valves of the irrigation canal, which is operated by the US Bureau of Reclamation. This is where the water is controlled. At the rally, farmer Grant Knoll. He and a group of other residents threatened to force open the main doors and force the water back.

GRANT KNOLL: At this point the federal government isn’t moving unless there is a lot of pressure, so maybe that will be another pressure point.

NEUMANN: Knoll thinks irrigators already have a right to lake water. But many other farmers in the Klamath Basin believe civil disobedience would make the situation worse.

(BRUSH CRACKING SOUNDBITE)

NEUMANN: Just across the California border, farmer Scott Sues walks through dry, crackling brush at the edge of the Tule Lake Wildlife Refuge. It is an area that can attract over a million migratory birds along the Pacific Flyway each spring and fall.

SCOTT SUES: No one alive has seen the lake in this state, where it’s a dry moonscape as it is.

NEUMANN: Sues attributes the problems to federal water management because it prioritizes endangered fish. The drought has created a volatile situation this year, he says, but he hopes for some sort of lasting solution.

PURSUIT: This will guarantee my children and the children of my neighbors the possibility of taking over their family farms.

NEUMANN: But for now, there is no long term solution. And with current climate trends, there is little reason to believe that abundant water will be available anytime soon.

For NPR News, I’m Erik Neumann in the Klamath Basin.

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