In Montana, indigenous women and girls make up only 3 - 4% of the population but they account for approximately 30% of those deemed missing by the Montana Department of Justice.
In the midst of the widespread crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women (MMIW), three families who have suffered devastating loss navigate a society and legal system that have a long history of indifference toward the struggles of indigenous families. Alongside these stories, indigenous scholars Sarah Deer and Annita Lucchesi guide us through the broader context of the crisis.
Ashely Loring Heavyrunner went missing on the Blackfeet reservation in Northern Montana in 2017. In the years since her disappearance, her sister Kimberly has spent countless hours searching for any evidence on a reservation the size of Delaware. It took 10 months for the FBI to finally begin an investigation into Ashley’s case, after Kimberly traveled to Washington DC and testified before congress.