Indigenous women and girls go missing or are murdered at startling rates that are not yet fully known. While there are many movements working hard to bring more attention to this, there is little legislation in the nation and minimal police support. In addition, the mainstream media has been eerily silent.

Listen to a special report, by Pacifica Network producers Sara Blanco and Morning Star Gali, titled, "Invisible Epidemic: Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) in California & Beyond". This is part 1 in a series produced for "La Onda Bajita" from 94.1 FM KPFA Berkeley. To find out about the upcoming series email saritamultimedia@gmail.com.

PRODUCERS:
Sara Blanco, is Producer & Reporter for "La Onda Bajita":
Sara identifies as a Chicana and Mexicana. She is an activist seeking justice for Chicana(o)s, Mexicana(o)s, and Indigenous peoples, Indigenous descendants and Latinx cultures across the globe. You can listen to her as part of "La Onda Bajita" which is a long running radio collective. Her shows air the first Friday of each month 9-10pm PST on 94.1 FM Berkeley or around the world live on www.kpfa.org. Sara Blanco works with Miguel Gavilan Molina, who has been the Executive Producer for "La Onda Bajita" for four decades and has always encouraged the presence, voice and strength of women in media. Sara's radio shows air a variety of topics including MMIWG, Domestic Worker & Farm Laborer struggles, plus, she enjoys interviewing people who make the world a better place. She also is a producer for La Onda Bajita's "420 Report" where she demystifies cannabis related news & interviews early pioneers and current leaders in the industry. Sara started within the collective after graduating from KPFA Radio's "First Voice Apprenticeship Program". For more information about the Apprenticeship program which actively seeks to bring women, people of color, and underrepresented communities into media, visit www.kpfaapprentice.org and listen to the apprentice-led show "Full Circle" Fridays 7p to 8p PST.

Morning Start Gali, Pit River Tribe Member, is an advocate for the issue of MMIW in the greater Bay Area and she is a Board of Member of The Sovereign Bodies Institute: https://www.sovereign-bodies.org. She also leads large-scale actions and assists with organizing Native cultural, spiritual, academic, and political gatherings. She is also the lead organizer, since 2006, for the now prominent "Thanks-taking" sunrise ceremony at Alcatraz, an annual commemoration of the 1969-1971 occupation by Native activists of the island within the ancestral territories of the Ohlone people. It is coordinated with the International Indian Treaty Council and is attended by 5,000 people each year. Morning Star & Sara Blanco plan to continue working on a series about MMIW.

People Interviewed in the program:

Bernadette Smith, Native Spiritual Singer and Dancer. Bernadette is a member of "Earth First Environmental Group" that works to protect Tan Oak trees and the acorn collection sites. Bernadette is a member of the "MMIW Coalition of California". Her sister Nicole Smith was murdered on their reservation and the case hasn't been solved. Bernadette tells us about this in this first part in the series. Bernadette will be featured again in another part of the series to tell us more about her ideas for solutions to these terrible crimes and how we can get involved.

Karina Banuelos: At the time of producing Part 1 in the series, Karina was the Database Specialist for the "Sovereign Bodies Institute" (SBI) and was in charge of updating this database with information about women and girls south of the so called "border". Although no longer affiliated with SBI, we keep her interview in Part 1 as it provides valuable insight about why these atrocities occur and how we can move forward to stop them from happening.

Music credit:
A prayer by Bernadette Smith and Clarence Carillo and music includes Ras K'Dee
"Don't Count Me Out! " BY Calina (KUH-LEENA) Lawrence featuring Desirae (DEZ-ER-RAY) Harp AND DJ LOOT.
"Don't Count Me Out!" (Instrumental)
"Forgotten" by White Sand: Creative commons