MMIP Wind River Update: October 2025

Domestic Violence Awareness Month: So Many Reasons

As I've spoken with and interviewed victim survivors through the years, the question that is asked by so many of their friends and loved ones has been:

"Why did you stay? Why didn't you say something??"

I remember my own family saying that if they "had only known", they could have helped me. But there are many reasons why victims are silent:

• They're living under threat or ultimatums from their abuser. "If you tell anyone, I'll kill you..." or "If you tell anyone, I'll make your life and theirs a living hell."
• They have been isolated and might not know anyone in their neighborhood or town, or know if they could trust anyone who could listen to or help them. Plus, abusers often control who their victims can and cannot see or be friends with. 
• They're afraid that no one will believe them, because their abuser wears a different mask in public settings, or may be a respected person or public figure.
• They've been gaslighted so many times, they begin to think that they're the crazy ones.
• They're financially dependent on their abuser. They also may live in a "Stockholm-Syndrome" type of environment, where they've learned to accept the assault and abuse as normal, even to the point of defending their abuser (such as in the case of sex or human trafficking).
• They're ashamed and afraid. They may have been repeatedly humiliated, embarrassed, and broken...a lost sense of 'pride'.
  

There can be so many reasons why victims don't speak up, each unique to their own situation. Maybe they want to leave, but have no place to go...no safe place to live, no sustainability options. No house or apartment, no food, no job...or maybe they do have a job, but no child care or transportation to get to and from their job.

They fear just even thinking about their options. The feelings of hopelessness can overwhelm them to (on top of the abuse) suffer with depression, constant anxiety, insomnia, PTSD, fatigue, self-infliction...they can also get to the point of suicidal ideation, thinking that death would be better than living with their abuser.

Below I've listed some numbers for victims of domestic violence, but understand that victims might not call any number for as many reasons or all as listed above, or more! Maybe their phone has been taken away from them, or it's being tracked. So "see something, say something" definitely comes into play, but most of all...do something! Not just talking about doing something...actually do something to help. Check up on your neighbors, your friends, your loved ones. Don't be shy; ask the questions. Show that you care and can be trusted. Report if you know, suspect or see an incident in progress. Call 911.

Survivors know. That is why MMIP Wind River has been working with Frontier Ambulance and Tribal Victim Services in creating a private network of support specifically for victims of domestic violence, physical/sexual assault, and abuse. Real support. Local support, by people who will listen, will care, and help get them on the right road towards healing.

Domestic violence, assault, and abuse are at epidemic proportions in our tribes and border towns. Our first responders know this. It's important work that we ALL must do, every single day, when it comes to community safety. To learn more about how you can help and/or be a part of our local network, or if you would like us to give our presentation to your agency, group or organization, please call or text me at 307-855-5190 or email: mmipwindriver@gmail.com.

Don't just survive. Live. Heal. Thrive.

Carol Harper

Project & Outreach Coordinator

MMIP Wind River
mmipwindriver.org

Permission for photo from Randy Tucker, County 10

National Indigenous Domestic Violence Hotline (NIDVH)

1-844-762-8483

StrongHearts Native Helpline

1-844-7NATIVE (762-8483)

Domestic Violence Support Line

1-800-799-SAFE (7233)

Riverton Police Department Anonymous Tip Line

307-857-7755

MMIP Wind River Update: September 2025

The next MMIP Wind River meeting will be Monday, October 6 at 7PM via Zoom. You can request a Zoom link by emailing: mmipwindriver@gmail.com

National Night Out

MMIP Wind River, along with the Fremont County Law Enforcement Foundation and the American Red Cross, shared space at the Frontier Ambulance table at the National Night Out held in Riverton on August 5. Biggest thanks to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Blue Campaign for the materials for our section of the table. Wind River Cares Tribal Victim Services were also present at the event. And again, thanks to Ron Howard for permission to use his artwork for our banner!

Victim Trauma Presentations & Talking Circles

MMIP, Frontier Ambulance, and Tribal Victim Services are continuing to develop our Victim Trauma Presentations and Talking Circles. This program is not publicized for the security and safety of the clients and survivors who attend and share their stories, but we welcome any and all providers, counselors, advocates, and liaisons who serve victims of domestic violence and assault to reach out to us to be included and contribute their resources and information, and attend the presentations. Email mmipwindriver@gmail.com to connect with us!

Spotlight: Not Our Native Daughters

We are often asked how people can donate to help MMIP individuals and families. As MMIP Wind River is not a 501c3, there are groups and organizations that can be trusted, where the funds donated will be managed properly and distributed to those in need. One of those organizations is Not Our Native Daughters. Their mission statement says it all: "To end the trafficking, exploitation and murder of Indigenous Persons through education, policy change, coalition-building and strengthening indigenous capacities to address the endemic violence."  They even have an online store where you can buy stickers, hoodies, t-shirts, gift cards, coffee mugs, and car decals. We know for a fact that the donations they receive truly do go to the victims and families who need it, and are used for exactly what their mission states. Thank you, NOND, for all you do!

__________________

I attended White Buffalo Recovery Services' Mending Broken Hearts program this month. I can tell you right now, it was one of the most powerful experiences I've had as far as targeting hurt, anger, grief, and pain that is often held deep inside. There were no judgments, no preconceived expectations...and the forgiving of self and others was a powerful way to push the "reset button" and let go of so much of the pain that I didn't even realize I had. Being among others who were going through their own trials and suffering helped immensely in knowing that I was not alone. Though it can be difficult to come to grips with the pain inside, the lessons I learned were very applicable and healing.

Mending Broken Hearts sessions are every other month, and I highly recommend signing up for the next one. We share White Buffalo's posts on our Facebook page, and will definitely keep you updated on when their next one will be.

Besides coordinating the Victim Trauma program, I have also been busy in training with the American Red Cross of Wyoming and recently attended the DAT Summit in Cheyenne. I've also taken Fremont County Prevention's Suicide Prevention First Aid course earlier this year. I want to thank Frontier Ambulance for giving me the support, time, and opportunity to attend these events and trainings so I can be more effective in helping and working with our tribes and the communities of Fremont County.

Most of all, I am most humbled by the stories of our victim-survivors of domestic violence. As a survivor myself, I remember when I felt very alone and didn't know who I could trust, not even my own family. I didn't know of any resources or support groups. I remember feeling ashamed and embarrassed, not wanting to reach out to anyone. Silence, I felt, was my only option. But not anymore.

This is why supporting the organizations that provide much-needed services and resources is so important to the element in our mission statement of strengthening collaboration. You are not alone. There are those who want to help, and would move heaven and earth for you, if they only knew. So don't be afraid to seek the help you need. Just speaking out is a very, very brave thing to do, so say something, not nothing!

Always feel free to reach out!

Carol Harper

Project & Outreach Coordinator

MMIP Wind River

mmipwindriver.org

Email: mmipwindriver@gmail.com

MMIPWR Update: 'MMIP Monday' Meeting Update

We had our MMIP Monday meeting on Monday, June 2, 2025 and were pleased to have had a guest visitor Ellis Brehme from the University of Michigan. Ellis is researching the MMIP crisis under her primary investigator, Rebecca Irvine, PhD. They are in the process of creating a national database for missing Indigenous Persons cases through NamUs, state databases, and many other sources...tracking and pinpointing locations where Indigenous people consistently go missing. Their current objective is to collaborate and collect data so that those trends can be more identifiable in missing persons cases, with particular interest within the Wind River Reservation. 

We were also pleased to have Lynnette Grey Bull with Not Our Native Daughters and Cara Chambers with the Wyoming MMIP Task Force present; it was the perfect opportunity for collaboration, and to help Ellis with perspective and input as she undergoes research for her project.

The mission of Not Our Native Daughters is "to end the trafficking, exploitation, and murder of Indigenous Persons through education, policy change, coalition-building, and strengthening indigenous capacities to address the endemic violence." Lynnette reminded attendees that NOND is a 501c3, and that the organization provides support for the families that are and have been impacted by MMIP.

For more information about NOND, visit their website: https://notournativedaughters.org/about or visit their Facebook page.

Looking ahead...

The mission of MMIP Wind River is 1) Strengthening Collaboration, 2) Providing Resources, and 2) Improving Response. Out of this last meeting, it was determined that our pro-prevention focus will be targeted on these five issues:

1. Domestic Violence, Abuse & Assault
2. Alcohol & Drugs
3. Human/Child Trafficking, Involuntary Servitude

4. Bullying/Suicide Prevention

5. Victim Trauma

In our MMIP Monday meeting, and as also mentioned in Samuel Semadeni's presentation, it was voiced that the Wind River Reservation is very much at the point of increased-risk status in regard to human trafficking and child exploitation. This is due to the growing rate of runaway situations and solicitations via social media.

We do plan on having another Human Trafficking event/presentation, and hope to hold it at a location on the Wind River Reservation. Once planned, we will announce it on our Facebook page and website.

We also have EMTs with Frontier Ambulance who have developed a Victim Trauma program/presentation, which has already been a help to some women who have found themselves in compromising situations and need assistance or sensitive intervention.

Sometimes hearing the stories of those who have survived domestic violence, assault, abuse, or suicidal ideations can help DV victims as they start their journey towards safety and healing.  If you are a survivor of domestic violence, assault, or abuse, and would like to tell your story, email:

dvstory@mmipwindriver.org (your name can be changed to maintain confidentiality).

Since Monday July 7 is a part of a holiday weekend, the next 'MMIP Monday' will be on July 14 at 7 PM via Zoom. On the agenda will be a discussion on effective Messaging, an Open Floor for any DV survivors who would like to tell their story(ies), and a Roundtable discussion for any updates, reports, or upcoming events or activities relevant to the MMIP mission that your group or organization would like to share. Tell us what you're doing, and how we can support you!

Collaboration is key to providing information, education, and resources for our tribal and border town communities. MMIP Wind River is very pleased to support and partner with agencies and organizations such as Wind River Cares Tribal Victim Services, Not Our Native Daughters, Fremont County Prevention Services, Frontier Ambulance, Fremont County Law Enforcement Foundation, as well as local and regional agencies, groups, volunteers, and individuals who participate and dedicate their own time to the MMIP movement.

Thank you all for your service!

Carol Harper

Project & Outreach Coordinator

MMIP Wind River

MMIPWR Update: MMIP Task Force Meeting 5-12-2025

Carol Harper

I was able to get in on the tail end of the Wyoming MMIP Task Force meeting today and give a little update to everyone on what MMIP Wind River has in the works. I left some things out, but I'd like to add and share them with you here.

Report a Missing Person. We are trying to collect the names of all past and current missing and murdered loved ones through a form on our website. Please fill out this form so we can start gathering data organically.

  We also recognize the importance of respecting the wishes of family members should they want to keep their cases private and away from media attention. We still encourage you to fill out the form so we can assist you and/or supplement local law enforcement agencies and organizations with any updates that could be shared privately.

The Remember Project. This project is in partnership with Wind River Cares Tribal Victim Services as a memorial/remembrance page on the MMIP website. The page is not published yet, but as soon as we finalize some details, we will announce it on our Facebook page.

Text to 911. We are looking into Text to 911 for the WRIR. Since this free service is through the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), it is important that we take the steps to establish it and utilize it. We will keep you updated on the progress.

Educational/informational presentations. As you know, we held our Human Trafficking presentations in Riverton and Lander, in partnership with Wind River Cares Tribal Victim Services. We would like to have more of these types of educational presentations and Q&As on and off the reservation, as many agencies and first responders cover this region of Wyoming. Next on the list will be a Cultural Sensitivity presentation for first responders.

MMIP Mondays. We will be holding meetings on the 1st Monday of each month at 7:00 PM via Zoom. This gives people time to settle in, have dinner, and then participate or even just listen in. We'd like to keep these meetings under an hour in order to respect people's work schedules and family time.

   We value your input! Grassroots volunteerism is vital to the success of any group or organization, and none more critical than MMIP. So if you would like to know how you can help (even in small ways, because small ways build in big ways), please join the meetings, or email mmipwindriver@gmail.com to get on the list for updates.

We work with, partner with, and support Wind River Cares Tribal Victim Services, the Northern Arapaho MMIP Tribal Liaisons, Not Our Native Daughters, the Wyoming MMIP Task Force, and other agencies and organizations that wish to connect and network in support of the MMIP initiatives which are: 1) Strengthening collaboration, 2) providing resources, and 3) improving response.