“They Didn’t Do Anything About It”: Anonymous Account of Murdered and Indigenous Peoples’ in Alaska
By McKenna Wells
“They didn’t do anything about it.”
It’s a sad statement to hear when you know it’s reality and not a figment of your imagination. In the process of drafting this article, two women were interviewed and asked to remain anonymous. The reason for the request of staying anonymous is that this could be potentially dangerous for them. The two women that were interviewed each had a scarily similar response. How is it that both anonymous storytellers who were interviewed are strangers and have almost the same story? Well, it all goes back to the root of the problem.
The lack of law enforcement in the state of Alaska is becoming the origin of the problem for each case of missing persons. Only forty percent of our communities have law enforcement (Jerue). Only about 293,357 people have access to law enforcement, health care, and fire safety support. If populous towns with those resources can’t even handle their current load, how are residents of rural Alaska supposed to reach out?
Well, as of 2019, the Not Invisible Act was passed as a resource for native indigenous peoples. The bill was created so indigenous peoples can receive assistance in locating missing people or receiving closure and support from The Commission. The Commission is a multi-agency effort to enhance protections and basic guidelines to engage, coordinate, and consult with tribal governments, survivors, families, and experts who best understand the needs of tribal communities to lead federal efforts to ensure indigenous people don’t continue to go missing by developing strategies to address the crisis (Affairs).
Anonymous Number One shared their story about a missing female that went missing as a child. Number One associates with Kenai Peninsula within the Seldovia village tribe, and from what was discussed, missing children is still a recurring issue in the village to this day. The missing child in question supposedly wandered away from her school playfield on her own. However, that’s only the assumption of the Anchorage Police Department. The family, the school, and the faculty at said school all believe that the child was stolen from the woods on the edge of the school property line.
The missing child case was opened in 2011 only to turn cold two years later in 2013. It was closed as a death case. While the case was closed unjustly, the family continues to hold onto hope that their daughter will return to them one day. As a value of the Dena‘ina people on the peninsula, according to the Kenaitze Indian Tribe, they believe in Qiz’unch’ meaning “the right way,” and “the truth.” They believe their daughter will be brought to justice.
Anonymous Number Two shared their story about three indigenous females that were murdered all within Anchorage. The first is a woman highly favored in her family, in her community, and her culture. The murdered woman was the aunt (not blood-related) of Number Two and was, in Number Two’s words, a woman deserving of respect and high praise. She was a big crafter, she supported her village, and cared for her family well. The woman was only answering her front door when she was brutally shot several times over. The son of the woman that discovered the body stated, “She had so many holes, you could see the light shining through her like a piece of paper.” The shooter of the woman was never found and, to this day, walks free. The lack of justice for this woman is egregious and should be reviewed carefully. This woman, who was so humble and sacrificed her time and skills for her whole community, was never truly put to rest in peace because of the lack of willingness of law enforcement to cooperate with the village.
The second murdered woman was a friend of the woman we just spoke of. This woman was shot and stabbed several times by her current boyfriend at the time. The man was caught and is currently serving time but was recently put up for the possibility of parole. It’s a horrifying thought for the family and surrounding community that this could even be a possibility. What’s stopping him from hurting another woman? It’s an unjust situation that can be a scary thing to face because of the lack of resources for all these missing and murdered people.
The first murder was quickly dismissed and the case was closed within two years of the case being opened. It seems as though the lack of research and investigation had something to do with it but the Anchorage Police Department has been persistent in defending its image.
Anonymous Number Two continued sharing their story about how indigenous people of their Athabascan culture are buried. An interesting and slightly colonized experience from what I heard. The people closest to the passing would gather three days before the planned funeral date and consume breakfast, lunch, and tea as one meal. The individuals would then go on to take part in a dinner meal on their own time with their own families as a celebration of life that is still active and present. While the close loved ones of the deceased are observing this time of silence and partaking in meals together, individuals in the village are building the casket, gathering supplies to make fresh clothing for the deceased, and preparing for the potlatch.
A potlatch is, from my understanding, a celebration of life. As a part of the potlatch, the close loved ones of the deceased receive a gift from the family as a thank you for participating in the deceased one’s life. As soon as the casket is buried, there is a dance performance and a candy tug-of-war that is presented to adults and children. Following the formal ceremony of burial and the potlatch, the clothes that the deceased wore when they passed are burned. The reason for the burning of the clothes is believed to release the spirit of the passing. Their clothing holds onto their soul keeping them from resting peacefully.
The families of these women hold onto these stories and experiences from the potlatches. Anonymous Number Two spent most of their interview reliving the peaceful and pleasant experiences they received from potlatches they’ve attended. In this culture, death isn’t meant to be sad but a moment of celebration of their life and the accomplishments they made. It’s important to remember these missing and murdered people not for what happened to them but the impact they left behind, the pillar they were in their community, and the sacrifices they made along the way.
While these people are well loved and missed dearly by their families and community, that doesn’t make what happened to them right. It doesn’t make it right that their value was dismissed by the state of Alaska. Many other men and women don’t have families anymore that are still looking for them. Those people need a government that is going to look after them and their families and their land no matter the cost. Living as an indigenous man or woman shouldn’t be a risk in and of itself. Everyone deserves to feel like they have a safety resource that they can contact.
Where are you in Alaska? Where are you, politicians? We have unjustly taken care of these cases and these people deserve better, these people deserve Nakuaqqutiqaġniq, or “compassion.” The rich cultures present in the state of Alaska are being attacked on their own land, in their own homes, and within their own communities. How is this something that we as a unified state can correct? How can we make this a better, safer place for indigenous people?
This is a problem that lies in the hands of tribal leaders and politicians.
These stories were shared thanks to the two women I interviewed who chose to stay anonymous. Ladies, your voices are heard.
Sources:
Indian Affairs. “What Is the Not Invisible Act Commission? | Indian Affairs.” www.bia.gov, Office of the Assistant-Secretary Indian Affairs, 16 Oct. 2020, www.bia.gov/service/not-invisible-act-commission/what-not-invisible-act-commission. Indian Affairs.
Jerue, Tami Truett. “A Tribal Perspective on the Crisis of Alaska Native Women and MMIW | NIWRC.” www.niwrc.org, www.niwrc.org/restoration-magazine/june-2019/tribal-perspective-crisis-alaska-native-women-and-mmiw.