The Great Basin Indigenous Women Rising coalition hosted its third Red Dress Powwow on Friday at the Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows on Foster Drive. The event was held to raise community awareness of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, relatives and two-spirits, or MMIWGR2s.
The Red Dress Powwow is a social gathering that honors MMIWGR2s and seeks to “heal and unite against MMIP violence.”
In attendance were Western Shoshone (Newe), Northern Paiute (Numu), Southern Paiute (Nuwu) and Wašiw (Washoe) and other Tribes within Indian country. The event offered information and outlets for help, in addition to increasing awareness and community support for those affected by the emotional and physical harm of those who are missing.
“Great Basin Tribes grieve together as communities and continue to heal from inter-generational trauma,” organizers said.
Dancers adorned in regalia performed with traditional drums and songs. Several categories of dance were performed over the course of the evening, including a men’s category, one for tiny tots, a street clothes special and a traditional blanket dance.
Community organizer Autumn Harry from the Healing Water Institute told This Is Reno that the event was growing each year. She said she was happy to see the community support for the event and that their goal is to end the violence that is being inflicted on their communities, from land extraction and water theft to the “violence of our people.” Harry said there was a direct correlation between the atrocities and that her communities were feeling the impact.
Reno-Sparks Indian Colony spokesperson Bethany Sam reiterated Harry’s sentiment.
“Everyone in our communities [is] affected by this violence, whether it is focused on the land and water or missing and murdered Indigenous peoples,” she said.
Sam also said that law enforcement was a “huge issue in Indian Country right now,” with limited resources for felony cases that go federal to the FBI. There are not enough officers in the state to cover all the tribes, she said, which is an issue for Indigenous communities from all states, not just Nevada.
The public event was also sponsored by the Reno/Sparks Indian Colony, Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, Intertribal Council of Nevada, Nevada Urban Indians, coalition members and allied organizations.
