Gen Huitt’s 'Missing' honors MMIW

Genevieve (Gen) Huitt, a Salish member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and lifelong singer/songwriter, recently released a new song in honor of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women.

“Missing,” co-written and recorded by Nashville singer/songwriter and recording artist Linda McKenzie, is a raw and powerful cry from the heart. The song vividly humanizes the victims of the MMIW scourge that is terrifying families and communities in Montana and across the U.S. and Canada.

Huitt knows firsthand how losing a family member to kidnapping and murder can affect a family for generations. Huitt is named for her aunt, Genevieve Margaret Huitt, a wealthy, landowning Klamuth Indian who disappeared around the time of the younger Gen’s birth or early childhood, over 60 years ago. Her charred body was found in a burned car, only identifiable by her teeth.

“Genevieve Margaret Huitt never had justice,” Huitt said. Her aunt’s murder was never investigated, as far as she knows.

Huitt befriended McKenzie two years ago, when McKenzie owned a home in Ronan. McKenzie grew to appreciate Native American culture as they enjoyed frybread, dancing and attending powwows together. She spent many hours at area museums, “just absorbing” as much as she could learn.

The two met shortly after a missing St. Ignatius woman, Darlene Billie, was found murdered in North Dakota. Huitt was the first to enlighten McKenzie about the depth of the MMIW problem. The extent of the issue outraged her.

“I couldn’t believe this isn’t on the 5 o’clock news every night,” McKenzie said. “This should not be acceptable.”

The two collaborated to write “Missing,” in honor of Darline Billie. “It was through tears and anger that this song was written,” McKenzie said. The aim is for the music to “help be a voice for the voiceless victims. They have been silenced forever, and their families don’t even know what happened to so many of them.”

The Montana Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Task Force reported 110 people listed as active missing persons at the end of 2019. Native Americans were disproportionately represented at 33%, though Native Americans were estimated to make up 6.6% of the population.

Huitt sees the MMIW issue as an important part of a larger effort acknowledging and working to stop abuse of women. With the “Me Too” movement, she said, women began to understand how pervasive abuse is, and were emboldened to step forward and fight for each other.

“This is not just a tribal issue,” Huitt said. “If we don’t recognize the genocide of Indian women now, we are not recognizing all the other women who need help, too. It’s a justice issue.”

The effort by Montana to identify and process the state’s backlog of 1,260 sexual assault kits to improve the criminal justice system’s response to sexual assault is an example that affects all women, she said.

“We’ve got to work together as sisters or they’re going to wipe us out.”

Local music promoter Randy Neuman sent a recording of “Missing” to Kenny Lee Lewis, a member of the Steve Miller Band, to see if he would be willing to add some guitar work to it.

Lewis recognized the power of the song right away. He coordinated with McKenzie to produce an enhanced track, contributing percussion, guitar, bass and some of the native flute.

“This song is important,” Lewis said.

Two other CSKT tribal members brought their skills to the recording. David Durgeloh Jr., who taught Native American Studies at Salish Kootenai College, added traditional native flute parts; Caato Matt is credited as assistant audio engineer.

“Missing” is available on YouTube, with an official video put together by McKenzie, though she would like to see someone film a video on the Flathead Indian Reservation. The song can be purchased at lindamckenzie.bandzoogle.com/single/25785/missing. Half of the song’s revenue from downloads at this site is to be donated to nonprofits assisting the families of victims of MMIW. Huitt has two CDs, “Reborn” and “Return of the Wolf,” available at Four Winds Trading Post in St. Ignatius or at fisherwoman03@gmail.com.

CSKT leaders are working with federal prosecutors and law enforcement agencies to create a response plan in missing persons cases, aiming to create guidelines for coordinating law enforcement's initial response to cases, communication with media, the public and family of missing loved ones, as well as guidelines on providing victim services. The plan will be used as a blueprint for other tribes to create guidelines based on their communities’ specific needs.

For more information, contact MT Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Task Force Presiding Officer Ellie Bundy, ellie.bundy@cskt.org, or visit dojmt.gov/mmip. The Task Force encourages missing persons to be reported to law enforcement as soon as possible to improve the chances of recovering them.