Skate for a Voice for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Children

Indigenous Health MedTalk

::TRIGGER WARNING:: - A very powerful edition of our podcast, but also needs to be listened to with care. It contains strong themes and discussion of violence. On the show today we have our first international guest, Melissa Skeet. A Diné (Navajo) woman, derby and trail skater and passionate advocate for missing and murdered Indigenous women and children. Besides our mutual love of skating, we talk about how both of our countries have incredibly high percentages of Indigenous women being murdered, experienced sexual and family violence and how the systems have failed them and sadly, how families were denied a voice. In 2021 in Australia there was a senate motion put forward for an enquiry launched by two Aboriginal senators, Dorinda Cox and Lidia Thorpe who are both family members of murdered Indigenous women. The senate report is due out in June this year. Bio: Melissa Skeet is an Ultra Trail Skater of the Dine’ Tribe from the Navajo Nation, raised at the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, U.S. and living in Montana, U.S. Melissa had her first taste of roller skating when she was invited by a roller derby athlete in Flagstaff, AZ who played for the High Altitude Roller Derby team to try out which she did and became a roller derby athlete for 4 in a half years. Melissa started Trail Skating when she skated alongside the beautiful Grand Tetons in Grand Tetons National Park, Wyoming, U.S. The beauty of trail skating started a passion for Melissa as she feels more connected with the earth and mother nature. Melissa started to become even more disturbed of the continuous epidemic of Indigenous People who had been taken and many were murdered. It wasn’t until she saw that the criminal justice system was continuously failing the victims and their families. Melissa then decided to take on one of the biggest challenges of her life of skating 300 miles across the Navajo Nation in Arizona, U.S. to raise awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Children, Elderly, 2-Spirit, Trans Relatives. Melissa completed 192 miles out of 300 miles with her amazing friend/Pacer Daisy Purdy and boyfriend Nate Zahn. Melissa realized during this skate that this was about bringing awareness to an epidemic that continues to be silenced and was set out to give a voice to all Indigenous families that we will keep fighting together. Melissa recently roller skated 40 miles in the rain for 8.5 hours in Washington, U.S. for Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, 2-Spirit, Trans Relatives (MMIWG2ST). This was a challenging skate due to the constant rain but nothing was going to stop Melissa. The skating awareness will continue for this month of May to continue to bring a Voice to the victims and their families who have been silenced. No more stolen sisters. For more information to sign-up and donate: Melissa’s Instagram: @skeet_fighter https://www.nativehope.org/ https://www.nativewomenswilderness.org/mmiw https://www.wenatchiwear.com/store/Skate-for-MMIWG2ST-Tank-top-Preorder-p463078552 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-25/first-nation-missing-murdered-women-senate-inquiry/100650852