Medicine Wheel Riders Coming To Wolf Point
The Medicine Wheel Riders, which raises awareness for missing or murdered indigenous persons, will travel to Wolf Point and take part in a program at the community center on Wednesday, July 30.
The grassroots movement featuring female motorcycle riders aims to bring national awareness and resources to issues. According to its website, the group’s purpose is “to provide national leadership to end violence against American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian women by supporting culturally grounded, grassroots advocacy.”
Carrie Manning, local organizer of the event, feels the group will arrive in Wolf Point for the program at about 4:30 p.m. on July 30.
“They are women from kind of all over who are riding for MMIP awareness,” Manning said.
She urges other local motorcyclists to meet in Glasgow earlier that day to greet the Medicine Wheel Riders. She says that starting in Nashua, the Fort Peck Tribal Police will lead an escort to the Fort Peck Reservation.
“I’m anticipating at least 30 bikes once we join them,” Manning said.
The program in Wolf Point will feature welcomes from tribal chairman Justin Gray Hawk Sr. and Spotted Bull Recovery Resource Center officials.
Guest speakers will include Fort Peck tribal chief judge Stacie Smith-Fourstar, Angeline Cheek and criminal investigator Kenneth Trottier. Nakoa HeavyRunner will sing. Jojo Miller will provide prayers.
Manning encourages families to bring photos of missing or murdered relatives to be set on an honored table.
“The whole thing is that I’m hoping for a time of healing and awareness,” Manning said.
The route for the Medicine Wheel Riders from Seattle, Wash., to Sturgis, S.D., will include stops in Pendleton, Ore.; Browning; Fort Belknap; and Wolf Point.
According to the group’s website, a Native woman goes missing from her family and community in both the U.S.A. and Canada every three days. A total of 84 percent of indigenous women have experienced violence in their lifetime. Indigenous women face rates of violence, murder and trafficking at 4 to 10 times the national rate.
