In some Indigenous cultures, red is believed to be the only color spirits can see and is a powerful way of remembering those who have died. Participants wore red at the community vigil in support of the national movement.

The Office of Intercultural Life and M.E.Ch.A hosted a community vigil on May 5 at the HOPE Center in recognition of the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, and Two-Spirit LGBTQIA+ peoples.

The night brought students together to honor victims and raise awareness about the ongoing violence against Indigenous communities.

Assistant Director of Intercultural Life & LGBTQ+ Advisor Natasha Bernius noted the importance of a community vigil.

“Community vigils like last night’s event are deeply meaningful, and it was great to see so many students and staff in attendance. Vigils serve to raise awareness, provide support to impacted community members, and collectively steer us towards justice and hope,” Bernius said. “On National Day of Awareness for Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit peoples, we acknowledged the past and present realities faced by Indigenous communities while gathering in solidarity for healing and systemic change.”

Since 2017, this day highlights disproportionately high rates of violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals. It’s also in memory of Hanna Harris, a Northern Cheyenne tribal member who was murdered in 2013.

In support, M.E.Ch.A provided a statement about the importance of addressing oppressed communities.

“M.E.Ch.A values itself in advocating not only for the Latine community, but for all communities. We recognize our responsibility to utilize our platform to address the issues affecting Indigenous communities, a people that are far too underrepresented,” M.E.Ch.A exec said. “Both the Latine and Indigenous communities in the U.S. share similar experiences of struggle and oppression, and we want to show that when oppressed communities realize that none of us are alone in our struggles, and that there are other people fighting against the same structural and systematic injustices, we become more powerful. M.E.Ch.A strives to build solidarity between all oppressed groups, and this event gave us the opportunity to do so.”

The vigil created a space for attendees to come together in solidarity and honor the lives lost, fostering a sense of community throughout the evening.