On a warm spring day when the cherry trees released a soft, sweet scent into the air, St. Joseph’s Indian School held a sacred prayer service to honor and remember Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives (MMIR) Awareness Day.
MMIR is a crisis affecting Native communities across the country. MMIR Awareness Day, observed on May 5, is dedicated to raising awareness, advocating for justice and ending the violence impacting Indigenous relatives. In the shining sun and 75-degree air, the entire school — students from first through 12th grade, staff members and even the campus horses —gathered in unity, their hearts and prayers focused on justice, healing and remembrance.
The day began in Our Lady of the Sioux Chapel, where students and staff participated in a prayer service. During the service, staff and students created prayer ties by using dried sage and cloth, symbolizing prayers of hope and remembrance of those gone or still lost. A powerful presentation was shown that highlighted startling facts surrounding MMIR. The goal was to educate attendees on alarming statistics and deepen their understanding of the crisis.
Then, the group moved outside to Wisdom Circle. Surrounded by open skies, luscious, green grass and peaceful birds chirping, they continued the ceremony with powerful expressions of resilience.
The school’s drum group, Chalk Hills Singers, filled the air with healing and prayer songs during a traditional round dance. The deep, steady beat of the drum mirrored heartbeats — a beat that mourns, remembers and calls for change.
The event concluded with a walk to American Creek Park, each step taken with purpose. Students and staff wore MMIR t-shirts proudly, each adorned with a design created by Owen, a sixth-grader at St. Joseph’s. His artwork, selected through a school-wide contest, served as a visual tribute. After the ceremony, staff and students shared a meal in the Dining Hall.
“By holding this ceremony, we as a thiyóšpaye — extended family — bring awareness not only to other staff on campus but to the Chamberlain community,” said Amanda, a Family Service Counselor at St. Joseph’s. “This event allows those impacted the space to grieve, heal and remember those lost.”
The statistics are harrowing:
- Four out of five Indigenous women experience violence.
- Murder is the third leading cause of death for Indigenous women.
- Rapid City, South Dakota is one of the top 10 U.S. cities with the highest number of MMIR cases not on law enforcement records.
- Most MMIR cases in South Dakota are located in Rapid City and on the Pine Ridge and Sisseton-Wahpeton reservations.
But behind each number is a name, a face, a story — and often, a family still waiting.
“We have current students, families and alumni who have been impacted by MMIR,” Amanda continued. “So it is important that our staff and students feel more connected and have a sense of community after this event. It allows staff and students to interact, connect and support one another in a different way.”
On this beautiful spring day, St. Joseph’s Indian School stood together — students, counselors, teachers and even horses — walked in remembrance and hope.
To learn more about St. Joseph’s Indian School, visit stjo.org today!
