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From the First Nations people of Canada to the Inuit of the Arctic Circle, Turtle Island, the North “American” continent without borders: the land, air, water, animal relatives and Indigenous people are suffering from a violent 500+ year colonial history. Considering Indigenous people have belonged to this continent since time-immemorial, the shuddering powers of genocide and environmental degradation have left staggering and unapologetic consequences for Indigenous Nations. It is a reality that delves deep into the heart of a legacy predominated by patriarchal control and a conquered landscape. One of the most difficult and continual issues Indigenous People face is the extremely high rate of missing and murdered people. There are numbers, stats, etc. to support understanding this violence but as Indigenous communities, we live with the reality in our hearts, minds, spirits and bodies.

A recent report from the Urban Indian Health Institue found Salt Lake City to be in the top ten cities for cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. Utah Must Lead the Way: Ending the Violence on Indigenous Relatives is a campaign that addresses the silence and ignorance, ensuring that we as Utah residents understand the critical need to create comprehensive and holistic change in our communities as a path to honoring and protecting our Indigenous Relatives. We must address symptoms of settler colonialism such as: land-dispossession, poverty, homelessness, racism, sexism, rape, trafficking and environmental racism.