UM alum’s new play highlights MMIP crisis

A new play by University of Montana alumna Kendra Mylnechuk Potter addresses the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous people and premieres Feb. 14 at the Montana Theatre in Missoula, according to UM News Service. “Can’t Drink Salt Water” was commissioned by the Montana Repertory Theatre and selected by a nationwide team of Indigenous artists, including actress Lily Gladstone.

Mylnechuk Potter, a member of the Lummi Nation, said the project centers on MMIP, a crisis in which American Indian and Alaska Native people face disproportionate rates of violence and disappearance. Indigenous people in Montana are four times more likely to be reported missing than others, according to a 2024 Montana Department of Justice report cited by UM News Service. The production runs through Feb. 22 and includes professional Indigenous artists alongside University of Montana students.