FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Indigenous Women Leaders will be featured at the Women’s+ March on Olympia – 2018 Rally & Indigenous Women are also honored to lead the walk sponsored by Oly Embrace

Contact: Kyle Taylor Lucas
Phone: (360) 464-0085
Email: Kyletaylorlucas@msn.com

Olympia, WA January 19, 2018 – On January 20th, 2018, Indigenous women leaders and the Squaxin Island and Nisqually Tribal Canoe Families will be featured at the 2018 Women’s March and Rally in Olympia. Following the rally with featured speakers at 11:00 a.m. at the State Capitol, a walk downtown to Heritage Park will highlight Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) and the NoLNG-253 movements.

The Olympia Women’s March rally includes a strong Indigenous Women’s agenda featuring the following:

Emcee: Kyle Taylor Lucas, Tulalip Tribe and Canada First Nations;
Opening Prayer: Connie McCloud, Puyallup Tribe of Indians;
Key Speaker: Charlene Krise, Vice Chairwoman, Squaxin Island Tribe;
Key Speaker: Liz Satiacum, Quileute Tribe, Organizer of Indian Lobby Day and Co-Host of Tribal Talk Radio; and
Both the Squaxin Island Tribe and Nisqually Tribe Canoe Families will be performing during the rally.

The Rally will be followed by a March/Walk sponsored by OlyEmbrace who invited the Indigenous Women to lead. Indigenous women seek to remember and honor the MMIW and to bring awareness to the long history of violence against Indian women who are assaulted more than 11 times per capita than others. Many will wear red skirts in honor of MMIW and black shirts to highlight the No LNG 253 movements.

The March/Walk will end at Heritage Park where Pamela (Snohomish Sladai), Snohomish Tribe and Paul Cheaoketen Wagner, Vancouver Island Samish Tribe will lead the Indigenous Program including the Women’s Warrior’s Song in honor of all the Missing and Murdered Women and a Round Dance.

What: Indigenous Women Leaders will be featured at the Women+ March on Olympia, followed by an Indigenous-Lead March/Walk to Heritage Park

When: January 20th, 2018 11:00AM (Rally); 12:30PM (March/Walk)

Where: Washington State Capitol, 416 Sid Snyder Avenue S.W., Olympia, WA 98504

Contact: Kyle Taylor Lucas, Kyletaylorlucas@msn.com; (360) 464-0085

Details: The Rally will begin at 11:00AM, and the March/Walk at 12:30 or 1:00pm.

Organizer: Kyle Taylor Lucas

Said organizer, Kyle Taylor Lucas, “Indigenous women, locally and across the region, join others of the Women’s March to honor and bring awareness to the tragic crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW). There is a long history of violence against Indian women in Canada and in the United States where Native women are assaulted 11 times more than others per capita.

The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) has helped ensure more prosecutions. Yet, now, with the energy corporations’ installation of huge thousand-man “Man Camps” often in barracks in fracking camps on or near Indian reservations and communities–there is an even greater crisis. The impact has been tragic and swift with violence including sexual assault against Indigenous children, girls, and women with many going missing or murdered. Human trafficking is also associated and on the rise.

This is a horrific human rights crisis that is not covered by mainstream media. So, following the lead of First Nations women in Canada, we Indigenous women across the country are standing up to fight for our missing and murdered Indian women, and we stand, too, for the survivors whose lives are forever changed. I can speak for my siblings and myself in pointing a huge finger at the Indian boarding schools run by brutal angry missionaries who attempted to beat the Indian out of the children. My dear little mother, Clara, was one of those children. She saw her sister die in that school. And she never recovered from the trauma of the entire experience. I blame the boarding school horrors for the pain she endured. She is one of the MMIW and I will be marching to honor her and to ensure others remember her.”

There will be more information at the Urban Indigenous Circle table at Heritage Park. Come visit us at Table 06B!

Kyle Taylor Lucas

NoLNG253 action at Washington State Capital with Millie Kennedy (L) and Marles BlackBird

Liz Satiacum

Squaxin Island Vice Chairwoman Charlene Krise

We would like to acknowledge the Women’s March on Olympia 2018 Rally planning group, Oly Embrace, No LNG Contingent at Women’s March, ReDefine Tacoma, Urban Indigenous Circle of Olympia, 350 Seattle, Last Real Indians, Val Peophon, Marles BlackBird, Tina Stevens, Pam Keely, Millie Kennedy, Colleen Jollie, Rod Tharpe, Ryan Harris, Matt Remle, and the many other volunteers.

Jan 19, 2018 - Indigenous Women Leaders to be featured at the Women’s March on Olympia – Highlighting MMIW and the NoLNG253 Movements