At St. Joseph’s Indian School, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives (MMIR) Day was honored in an educational way this year, helping our Lakota (Sioux) students better understand the importance of safety, awareness and speaking up.
Throughout the day, students had the opportunity to receive a temporary tattoo of a red handprint, the symbol of the MMIR movement. The red handprint represents the voices of Indigenous people who have too often gone unheard and unseen. By wearing the symbol, students showed support for raising awareness and honoring those impacted by the MMIR crisis.
Indigenous people account for nearly 60% of South Dakota’s missing persons cases, despite Native Americans making up a much smaller percentage of the state’s population, according to South Dakota Searchlight.
As part of the day’s activities, students across different grade levels attended special presentations from Angela Waldner of South Dakota Homeland Security. While each presentation was tailored to the age group in attendance, every session focused on one important topic: internet safety.
Angela spoke honestly with students about the growing role technology and social media play in everyday life. She reminded students to be careful about what they share online and explained that even when something is deleted, it never truly disappears because it becomes part of a person’s digital footprint.
“The internet can be used for some really great things,” Angela shared, “but sometimes it can be used for things that can get us in trouble.”
Students learned the importance of not talking to strangers online and understanding that people on the internet may not always be who they claim to be. Angela also stressed the dangers of meeting online acquaintances in person.
Perhaps the most important message of the day came when she told students, “If there is only one thing you remember today … if there is something on the internet that makes you feel uncomfortable, please go find a trusted adult.”
Angela also encouraged students to speak up if they ever witness something online or in person that feels unsafe or wrong. She explained that while it is always important to talk to a trusted adult, there may be times when someone does not feel comfortable doing so or may not know who to turn to. In those situations, students can anonymously report concerns through the Safe2Say South Dakota tip line. Angela said the program has helped with many real cases thanks to tips submitted by others who chose to speak up.
With technology becoming a larger part of students’ daily lives, the presentation served as a powerful reminder about staying safe, making wise choices online and knowing when to ask for help. St. Joseph’s staff and students are incredibly thankful to Angela for sharing her knowledge, stories and real-life examples with students in a way that was both engaging and impactful.
“I learned to not give people my information online and don’t meet with them,” said Roberta, a third-grade student at St. Joseph’s.
Learn more about St. Joseph’s Indian School by visiting stjo.org.
