**NEWS ADVISORY **
FRIDAY: SENATORS OSTEN & BERTHEL HONOR MISSING AND MURDERED INDIGENOUS NATIVE AMERICAN WOMEN
HARTFORD – State Senators Carthy Osten (D-Sprague) and Eric Berthel (R-Watertown) will host Connecticut’s annual Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day – also known as “Red Dress Day” – at the State Capitol this Friday May 1, beginning at 9:30 a.m.
National Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Awareness Day is observed annually on May 5 to honor victims, support families, and raise awareness of the high rates of violence against Indigenous people. Established in 2017, this day of advocacy addresses the crisis of Native women and girls who are missing or being murdered at disproportionate rates.
Schedule:
9:30 a.m.- Capitol, South Lobby
Opening Ceremony – Flute Honoring Song – Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Member
Rashad Young Director of the MPTN Language Department
9:40 a.m. – Capitol, South Lobby
Opening Prayer – Herbert “Half-Crow” Boyd, Vice Chairman, Mashantucket Pequot
Tribal Elders Council
Opening Remarks – Senators Osten & Berthel
Tribal Nation Guest Speakers:
- Eastern Pequot Tribal Nation – Secretary Dawnrae Rocha
- Golden Hill Paugussett Tribal Nation – Clan Mother Shoran Waupatukuay Piper
- Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation Vice Chairwoman Latoya Cluff
- Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation Mashantucket Royalty, Jr Miss Mashantucket Chloe Cox
- Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation Mashantucket Royalty, Tiny Tot Miss Mashantucket Izarra Eleazer
- Mohegan Tribe Nation Chairwoman Council of Elders Beth Regan; Vice Chairwoman of Strong Wolves Speak Loudly MMIP Committee-Teri McHale
- Schaghticoke Tribal Nation – Member Darlene Kascak
Outside South Lobby
Closing Ceremony – Red Sand Project activation
Mohegan Tribal Nation – Elder Two Dogs Bruce Bozsum and Strong Wolves Speak Loudly MMIP Committee—Red Dress Song played during the Red Sand portion outside
Schaghticoke Tribal Nation – Member Darlene Kascak
###