Opinion: Systemic issues perpetuate widespread violence against indigenous women and children [Opinion]
With every second that we feed our minds the horrific content that includes missing and murdered Indigenous people, we’re further desensitized to the problem and less likely to engage in being a part of the solution or call to action. The statistics and causes related to missing and murdered Indigenous women and people remind us that this is a systemic issue birthed in first contact with ancestral lands, now called America, bred through colonialism and modern-day capitalism.
Everyone grew up with the same after-school specials, milk cartons with missing people, and John Walsh — if this is unfamiliar to you, Google it. So why are Native-Indigenous people significantly impacted? Representation matters in telling the stories of missing and murdered Indigenous women and people. As a Native-Indigenous mother and grandmother, I can acknowledge that this is our collective nation’s problem, inherited across generations, through the veins of experience and largely historical trauma.
In San Diego County, we have amazing local Native people and organizations leading this “heart work,” inspired by cultural spirituality. One is Nicole Merton, raised and living in Orange County, who identifies as being of Native American and Latinx descent. In her personal time, she’s found that her way of giving to Native-Indigenous peoples impacted by a missing or murdered loved one is to visit, listen and capture the family’s story in person.
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