Cheyenne River community honors missing and murdered relatives

The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe held a “Paint the Town Red” event in September in Eagle Butte, South Dakota, to raise awareness of missing and murdered Indigenous people. According to reporting by South Dakota Searchlight, the event featured a display of red dresses and T-shirts along the main street, a commemorative walk and speakers sharing stories of lost loved ones.

Jolee Two Dogs Clark, a tribal citizen, displayed photographs of her 20-year-old daughter, Ahmyli Clark, who was killed in June, and her 23-year-old son, Miles Phillips, who was shot in July 2022. Jessica Grazier, domestic violence advocate for the Sacred Heart Center, said organizers could not hang shirts and dresses for all affected. The event offered a space for the community to pray, mourn, and access mental health and spiritual resources.