CAMPAIGN INFORMATION

We are seeking to grow our MMIW billboard campaign in the Great Lakes in 2021. We have built new relationships with community partners in 2020 such as Menikanaehkem in the Menominee Nation (WI), ESTHER (Neenah, WI),
Zonta Club of Ludington, MI, and the Gathering Thunder Foundation (Grand
Rapids, MI).

Please consider supporting our campaign so we can address ongoing colonial violence towards our people and communities. The billboards inspire action such as walks or vigils. They also inspire and ignite conversations on this critical issue. Ultimately, we seek greater justice and transformation in Native and non-Native communities.

CAMPAIGN GOALS

Continue our MMIW billboard campaign in Michigan and the Midwest. It is our goal to have several billboards running at once in different Native and partnership communities.
Locate a significant portion of our billboards in our rural and remote Native communities. Also, locate billboards in urban communities such as Green Bay, WI, and Grand Rapids, MI.
Build new collaborations and partnerships to strengthen this work.
Inspire and ignite action such as vigils, marches, or other community awareness events.
Create greater community safety for our Anishinaabe and Great Lakes Native communities around this issue. This could include self-defense training, advocacy, and awareness training.

Video - Native Americans React To Task Force Launched to Solve Missing Cases

COSTS

Here are some example costs from 2020:

The cost for the billboard in the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (Baraga, MI) for 4 months was $1,350. The monthly rate is $250, plus $350 to print it in the vinyl. We worked with a Native owned and local advertising company, Up North Entreprises, which charges less than Lamar. The billboard size is 10" x 30" and is located at US-41 & M-38. This is a lower traffic location. Billboards in rural communities are much more affordable than in urban communities.
The cost for the billboard in Grand Haven, MI for one month was $2,175. The monthly rate is $1,700 and the production of the vinyl was $475. The size of the billboard is 10'6" x 36" and is located at US-31 on the corner of Robbins Road. This is one of the highest traffic areas in Ottawa County, MI, which is reflected in the cost.

BACKGROUND

The Native Justice Coalition officially launched our MMIWG2S Program in August 2019. The MMIWG2S abbreviation stands for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People. There has been a growing movement across Canada for several years and now the Global Indigenous Council has started this billboard campaign which has been supported by Native American Congresswomen including Deb Haaland (D-NM) and Sharice Davids (D-KS). In 2019, we have launched this program with a billboard campaign in the Great Lakes. Our goal is to locate these billboards in our rural and remote Native communities.

This program addresses this ongoing violence and continued genocide that affects Native women, girls, and Two-Spirits across the US and Canada. In May 2019, a 1,200 page report from Canada was released on the National Inquiry on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG). It includes over 230 recommendations and concluded that the murder and disappearance of Indigenous women and girls is an ongoing genocide. The NJC is starting with this first step to create awareness in our communities. We will continue to grow this work through community forums and other community-based action in the Great Lakes.

PHOTO: This billboard was located on US-31 in Ludington, MI, from April - June

2020. It was supported by the Zonta Club of Ludington.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Since the launch, we have successfully run the MMIW awareness billboard in 8 locations and a total of 12 times from August 2019 to the present. Some locations had multiple billboards at once or repeat billboards. These locations include Manistee, MI (Little River Band of Ottawa Indians), Rudyard, MI (Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians), Baraga, MI (Keweenaw Bay Indian Community), Grand Rapids, MI, Ludington, MI, Grand Haven, MI, Green Bay, WI, and Duluth, MN.

LEARN MORE ABOUT US AND OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS

ESTHER

Gathering Thunder Foundation

Global Indigenous Council

Native Justice Coalition

Menikanaehkem - Community Rebuilders

Uniting Three Fires Against Violence

Zonta Club of Ludington

NEWS & MEDIA

Healing through activism: Campaign draws attention to missing and murdered Indigenous people

Michigan Native Leader's Comment Tags Michael Moore a Liability to Bernie Sanders in Primary, As Biden Reaffirms Support for Latest MMIW Efforts

Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women billboard goes up in Duluth