Woman walks reservation for a cause

Bracing herself with eight others, Marita GrowingThunder pressed on into the biting wind on U.S. Highway 93 in Pablo Monday afternoon, as vehicles occasionally honked their horns.

GrowingThunder and a core group of others walked across the Flathead Reservation over a span of four days during the second annual Walk to Honor Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women.

“Women are the backbones to many native cultures,” she said. “This (missing indigenous women) is very much an issue that’s not talked about.”

At times through the four-day walk, tens of people joined, carrying signs.

The route began on Sunday, March 25 in Rollins, and was planned to commence at the southern point of the reservation in Evaro on Wednesday.

A precaution the group took while walking on the highway in Ronan was to take backroads, GrowingThunder said.

The University of Montana freshman, majoring in pre-med and art, said that the walk came about last year as her high school “Save Our Sisters” project.

While in high school, GrowingThunder said to help raise awareness, she made ribbon dresses and skirts, which typically take a day to construct.

Now that she’s in college, GrowingThunder said her schedule doesn’t allow for as much time to make the clothing.

Last year, the response from the community was mostly positive during the procession.

“There was a lot of unity that occurred,” GrowingThunder recalled, noting that there were “many” different tribal members that participated in the walk last year.

This year, the walk has been even more positive, she said.

Currently, GrowingThunder said there is a lack in databases regarding endangered indigenous women.

The databases that do exist, seem to be for sexual assault, and are mostly done through independent organizations, she explained.

If databases or organizations do work to collect information on endangered indigenous women, GrowingThunder said they are small grassroots groups.

An issue when trying to keep track of women who are missing is blurred lines in criteria.

“A lot has gone into finding out who’s missing and murdered because it’s hard to define who’s been murdered,” she said.

In addition to starting the conversation, GrowingThunder said she marches for women in her life as well as her ancestors who have been murdered.

After the group clocks in so much mileage by foot, GrowingThunder said everyone goes home and meets up the next morning.

Helping to keep the group fortified, donations of water and food have been sent along the way, she said.