TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — On the lawn in front of the College of Public Health at the University of Arizona, a group of women learned how to box. It was a part of the fourth annual National Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples Day of Awareness Symposium hosted by Indigwellbeing.
One of the participants was Druscilla Reyes, who is a part of the Pascua Yaqui tribe.
“It might decrease the chances of women getting kidnapped or harmed,” she said about learning how to box.
Celeste Juan, who is a part of the Tohono O’odham Nation, was also learning how to box.
“It just unifies you to know your body and your spirit and your limits on how far you could go,” she said.
The Bureau Of Indian Affairs said about 4,200 missing and murdered cases have not been solved.
“It’s been in the dark for way too long and I think it’s time that our people be heard and actually listened to this time,” Reyes said.
In March the National Institute of Justice said there were 57 cases created/archived of tribal persons who were missing, unidentified, or unclaimed.
“When it’s talked about, it brings a lot of knowledge to people that aren’t affected by Native Americans,” Juan said.
In 2023 Pima County and the City of Tucson formed a joint task force to find missing and murdered indigenous people and prosecute those cases.
On a state-wide level, Governor Katie Hobbs also announced a task force that same year.
“If officials don’t know, then how is anything going to get done with it? How is there going to be any progress?” Reyes said.
Juan also attended Indigwellbeing’s run and walk to shed light on missing and murdered indigenous persons. It was this past weekend at Pima Community College’s West campus.
She said finding a clue, even something as simple as an article of clothing, could shed light on finding that person or what happened to them if they passed away.
“They weren’t just a missing person. They were actually someone that had a soul and ambitions towards their life,” Juan said.
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Andrew Christiansen is a reporter for KGUN 9. Before joining the team, Andrew reported in Corpus Christi, Texas for KRIS6 News, Action 10 News and guest reported in Spanish for Telemundo Corpus Christi. Share your story ideas with Andrew by emailing andrew.christiansen@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, or Twitter.
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