According to Sakura Kawakami, co-president of the Native American Student Association, Native American women going missing or being murdered is a common issue in the United States and Canada. Yet, Kawakami said it is not talked about enough.
Elon University will host a fundraising event to spread awareness for missing and murdered Indigenous women at 5:30 p.m. in Medallion Plaza. The Native American Student Association, the Gender & LGBTQIA Center, the Center for Race, Ethnicity and Diversity Education and the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life have all collaborated to organize the event.
The event will raise funds from donations to support organizations such as Native Hope — a nonprofit organization that gives a voice to native communities by sharing the injustices inflicted upon them.
“This is one of the biggest issues Native American women face, and I think it’s really important to understand that this is happening,” Kawakami said.
The event will feature three guest speakers:Alamance County natives Crystal Cavalier and Vicki Jeffries from the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation and Elon sophomore Aubee Billie from the Seminole tribe.
Students who attend will have the opportunity to participate in a raffle to win native jewelry from the Occaneechi Tribe, as well as eat food from a native food catering service.