Indigenous people experience violence and victimization up to 10.5 times the rate of other populations and four out of five Native women experience some sort of violence in their lifetime (Source: Urban Indian Health Institute.) At 7 p.m. on June 11, Meaningful Movies in Ridgefield will screen the documentary “Bring Her Home” at the Old Liberty Theater. This film tells the story of three Indigenous women as they work to vindicate and honor their relatives who are victims in the growing epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous women. Following the film, leaders in the Indigenous community, Karyn Kameroff and Duana Johnson, will facilitate a discussion about the film and the current state of the problem as it relates to the Pacific Northwest.
Ms. Kameroff (Choctaw) is the program coordinator for the Cowlitz Indian Tribe’s Pathways to Healing program. She recently hosted events in honor of the May 5 National Day of Awareness of Missing and Murdered Women and Girls, including a Zoom webinar with Cowlitz tribal speakers and community healing events. Ms. Johnson is the lead administrator for MMIWUSA, a Colville/Lakes tribal member, a domestic violence, sexual assault and sex trafficking survivor and a U.S. Navy veteran. MMIW USA’s mission is “to bring our missing home and help the families of the murdered cope and support them through the process of grief.”
“For far too long, the needs and safety of Indigenous people have been ignored. We hope that this event will help to bring the tragedy of missing and murdered Indigenous people to the forefront in the community’s consciousness.
It is a great honor to have the movie showing and discussion lead by Karyn Kameroff and Duana Johnson who are working so hard in the Native community to heal and prevent these tragedies.”
Megan Dudley,
Meaningful Movies in Ridgefield coordinator, Ridgefield
