The Northern Oklahoma chapter for Missing and Murdered Indigenous People held a drive-thru event at the White Eagle Cultural Center parking lot on Nov. 30.

The solemn event saw people drive by as family members held photos of missing loved ones. Social distancing was observed while hand-outs and meat pies were provided.

The MMIP works to bring awareness to the epidemic that Indigenous people are at an unreasonably high risk of becoming missing or murdered as a population.

The Northern Oklahoma MMIP Chapter is one of ten such organizations in Oklahoma and is focused on providing services to families of missing and/or murdered Indigenous people within their area.

Tribes within their service area include Ponca, Tonkawa, Pawnee, Kaw, Osage, Otoe-Missouria, Iowa, Delaware and any family of missing/ murdered Indigenous person, no matter what tribe that happens to be within their territories.

The group began in 2019 to aid in the investigation of Joshua Battiest and later, the search for Shelia Strong.

The MMIP of Northern Oklahoma is working to help families and take action to change the legal systems to be more beneficial to help Indigenous people and be willing to do what the system won’t.