Free MMIP Research Training Offered in Rocky Boy Sunday

Denny and his family traveled to Saskatchewan to help search for Tamra Keepness, a 5-year-old girl from White Bear First Nation who was last seen in 2004. Twenty years later, Tamra has still not been found. found.

Even at a young age, for Denny, the idea of ​​searching for a missing relative was not a shock.

“My mother raised me knowing that as an Indigenous woman, you can’t trust anyone,” she said. “I learned what that meant when I first researched it.”

The disproportionate number of missing and murdered Native people is a nationwide crisis, and experts say Montana is the epicenter. While Native Americans make up 6.7% of Montana’s population, they account for an average of 26% of active missing persons reports in the state.

As an adult, Denny benefited from professional search and rescue assistance. training by renowned expert Lissa Yellow Bird-Chase and has participated in research of indigenous peoples across the country. She helped search for Rita Papakee, a 41-year-old woman who went missing in Iowa in 2015.

Now, Denny wants to share his expertise with others. She and Tasheena Duran, who has also participated in numerous searches, are offering free training this Sunday on how to conduct a search on the Rocky Boy Reserve.

Participants will learn how to conduct grid research, how to identify and report evidence, and how to conduct large research safely and efficiently. The three-hour training begins at 9am on Sunday June 23 at Browns Dam in Box Elder. Participants should wear brightly colored clothing and bring a hat, closed-toe shoes, water, sun protection and a snack.

“Knowing how to do research advances a community’s toolbox,” Denny said. “It also helps with mental health. It may not give you closure, but it is a way for indigenous people to exercise their own autonomy.

Research training comes at a critical time for the community. Nineteen-year-old Rickisha Bear, a citizen of the Chippewa Cree Tribe, went missing in February and multiple law enforcement agencies across jurisdictions are investigating her case. Even though participants won’t be looking for Bear at Sunday’s training, Denny hopes the training will create a ripple effect, inspiring people to share their knowledge with others.

“People need this in their toolboxes,” she said. “It’s being human. It’s about supporting each other.