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Missing and murdered indigenous people
If you have spent any time reading about true crime, you probably know that American Indian/ Native American women go missing from the United States and Canada at alarming rates. On some reservations, women experience violence and are victims of homicide at 10x the rate of women in other communities.
But what about men and boys? Missing and murdered Indigenous boys and men are the forgotten group of this epidemic of violence on tribal land and many families are aching to see the cases of their missing/murdered male loved ones solved. Just like with the missing women, men and boys are going missing at an alarming rate on tribal land, but race is not the only factor. Men (and women) of all ethnicities who live on the Yakama reservation are missing and murdered at disturbing rates.
Missing and murdered indigenous people is a complex issue with prejudice and jurisdictional issues playing major roles. If you want to know more about the root of these issues, I suggest “Missing and Murdered” podcast by Indigenous Canadian journalist Connie Walker, who explains the issues much better than I ever could; that podcast is linked below.
Today, I want to highlight the stories of some of these men and boys, specifically those missing from the Yakama community. Because there are so many missing people who are practically unknown, I have decided to profile the cases of ALL the men and boys missing from the reservation, regardless of race.
This is a companion piece to another write up I completed about missing women and girls from the Yakama reservation. That write up can be found here. If some sections sound similar that is probably why. https://www.reddit.com/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/htvnv6/extensive_write_up_on_missing_and_murdered/
Background
Washington state is home to the fifth largest Indian reservation in the United States, the Yakama reservation, which is home to the Klickitat, Palus, Wallawalla, Wenatchi, Whishram, Wanapum, and Yakama people. According to the US Census Bureau, only the Osage, Puyallup (also in Washington state), Navajo, and Choctaw reservations are more populous. The Yakama reservation is located in South Central Washington state, just south of the city of Yakima. Of the 31,000 people who lived on the reservation, 11,000 are enrolled tribal members. Most people who live on the reservation claim Hispanic/Latino, white, or mixed-race descent, but Hispanic is by far the most common ethnic group. There are also small Filipino, Japanese, and Korean communities nearby. The Yakama reservation is located just south of the town of Yakima, Washington, a large farming community of 100,000 people. Apples, cherries, peaches, pears, grapes, and hops are all grown in the dry surrounding region. Harvest time brings thousands of migrant workers to the area, so the population is always in flux.
Outside of Yakima is the town of Union Gap (Pop. 8000), which is partially on the reservation, and partially off it. There are two other proper towns on reservation, Toppenish (pop. 8000) and Wapato (pop. 5000). Other small communities such as Satus, Harrah, White Swan, and Granger all boast several hundred residents each. All in all, the Yakama nation consists of 2,200 square miles of sprawling, rural land stretching from south central Washington nearly to the Oregon border. But from this unassuming patch of high desert and grassland, more than 30 Native women have gone missing/were murdered. If we add Native men to the equation, the number jumps to nearly 40 unsolved disappearances, deaths, and murders. If we add the deaths and disappearances of non-native people missing from the reservation, the number grows yet again.
Although the land is vast, the tribal population is small. From my estimates over .5% of native people on the reservation are missing or murdered. Like many tribal communities, unemployment and poverty is common, appropriate housing is scare, and according to the tribal council "disregard for the rule of law and general civil unrest" as well as gun violence and substance abuse is common. In 2019 a curfew was instated after a particularly bad shooting.
According to the Washington State Patrol, the Yakama nation has the highest percentage of missing people of any Native community in the state, even though they are not the most populous. The FBI created a task force in 2009 to investigate the possibility of serial killer among the Yakama, but the investigation determined that a serial killer was unlikely, but not impossible. This was because the causes of death were so different from victim to victim. The investigation did close 2 cases on the reservation after DNA on both women linked them to a man serving life in an Oregon prison, but the man is not believed to be responsible for any other crimes in the inquiry.
Whether a serial killer is loose on tribal land or not, this issue is complex and long standing and demonstrates how much substance abuse, domestic violence, accidents, and random crime affect the native communities in this county at 10x the rate of other communities. Some progress has been made such as state bill 2951 which allows Washington state authorities to track cases and help investigate and search for missing individuals on tribal land. Because tribal lands are usually under federal jurisdiction, state authorities previously were not able to help, despite being more familiar with the area than the FBI. This is only one small step in the right direction and although awareness is growing, the epidemic of missing and murdered indigenous people will not simply go away.
Many people have heard of this epidemic, but few know the names of the victims; today it is time to change that. Below are the profiles of 20 men and boys who are missing, murdered, or who have suffered mysterious deaths. For some of the individuals very little information is available. The list below is not necessarily complete. If you know of other unsolved cases let me know in the comments below.
Quick guide: Yakima- large town near, but not on, the reservation
Yakama- the tribe and people group
NOTE: all cases organized most to least recent. In order to be profiled the cases in this piece must have some connection to the Yakama Indian reservation. This could mean those who lived on the reservation, were last seen on the reservation, are believed to be missing within the confines of reservation, or are of Yakama heritage by birth. Hope that makes sense.
Missing
Bernard Schieber, 86, of Yakima has not been seen since Aug. 8, 2019, when he left his home in the 2500 block of South 84th Avenue in Yakima. His black, full-size Chevrolet pickup was found a few weeks later in a closed portion of the Yakama Nation reservation. It appears to have been parked normally and not crashed or damaged. When he left his home in the city of Yakima, Bernard had only ¼ tank of gas and no money. He suffers from dementia. Bernard is described as a white male with blue eyes and gray hair. He weighs 190 lbs. and stands 5’ 11” tall. Anyone with any information about Schieber is asked to call the Yakima County Sheriff's Office at 509-574-2500. He is still missing.
Josiah “Jo” Michael Hilderbrand aged 25 and his friend 47-year-old Jon Joseph Cleary left southern California in early June 2020 to travel to a Grateful Dead concert at The Gorge a venue in Washington state. Both men were traveling together in a light blue 2004 Honda Civic hybrid when they were last heard from on June 7th, 2019. On June 8th their abandoned burned out car was found 8 miles west of Toppenish in a deserted, rural area of the reservation. The FBI has stated they believe the men are dead but they are officially listed as missing.
Josiah Hilderbrand is described as white male, age 25, with light brown wavy hair and blue eyes. He is 5’8” and 165 lbs. He has a neck tattoo. Jon Cleary is a white male, 47 years old, and 6’3” in height weighing 230 lbs. He has brown/gray hair and beard and brown eyes. He usually wears a baseball cap.
Remains found August 5th, 2020 near Toppenish may belong to the men. The FBI is handling the case as the men were found on tribal land. The families are offering $35,000 for information that can solve the murders. Even if the remains are those of the “Dead Heads” the crimes of their deaths remain unsolved.
Strangely enough Hilderbrand and Cleary died on the same day that a mass shooting occurred in White Swan where two men, Donovan Quinn Carter Cloud and James Dean Cloud, killed five people. The shooters have been convicted in that crime and some have speculated that both crimes are related. This mass shooting was the crime that inspired that reservation-wide curfew to be put into effect.
Elias Chief Culps, 25, was last seen in White Swan on Dec. 27, 2018 and has not been heard from since. In 2015 Elias was a witness in a court case about unreasonable searches and seizures and whose jurisdiction should be involved when fugitives are found on tribal land- the outcome of that case is unknown. There is little information available about Elias’ disappearance. Those with information are asked to call the Yakama Nation Police Department at 509-865-2933, case number 19-009167. He is described as a Native American male, 5’6”-5’7” in height and 150-170 lbs. He has brown hair and eyes and a tattoo on his neck.
Jose Francisco Canales a 43-year-old father of 7 children was last heard from on July 7, 2018 in Harrah, Washington where he resided with his wife of nineteen years. He was last seen at La Guadalupana (a store in Harrah) on July 6, 2018 where he cashed his paycheck. The next day, July 7th, he called his boss to report that he would not be coming into work that day. This was the last time anyone saw or heard from Canales. He is described as a Hispanic male, 5’7” or 5’8” in height and 145 lbs. with brown hair and eyes. He has a scar on his left hand about 1” in length and a tattoo of a heart on his right arm/shoulder area. He was last seen wearing along-sleeved t-shirt (possibly green), blue jeans, brown sneakers and a blue baseball cap. He has a receding hairline and some gray hairs in his beard. Canales may be driving a gray 1994 Ford Ranger single cab pickup truck with the Washington license plate number B53351T. There may be a green 2018 Polaris 450HO four-wheeler in the bed of the truck; it has the vehicle identification number (VIN) 4XASEA509JA252860. Canales's case remains unsolved.
Rolando Gabriel "Gabby" Gutierrez, of Mabton has been missing since Sept. 16, 2017. The 44-year-old was the oldest of six siblings and was close to his family. When his family last heard from him, Gutierrez was in Puerto Peñasco, also known as Rocky Point, a Mexican fishing and resort city on the Gulf of California. He was staying in the area and had weekly phone contact with his family. Gabby was planning to come home for his niece’s birthday in October, but he never made it. One of his sisters worried that Gabby was “wrapped up” in the drug trade. In November 2019, forensic scientists in the Mexican state of Sonora announced that they had recovered 52 bodies and skeletons from a mass grave near Puerto Peñasco. Gabby’s family told an Associated Press reporter that they thought there might be a chance his body was among them, but this is not known for certain. Rolando “Gabby” Gutierrez is described as either a Hispanic or a mixed race (Caucasian/ Hispanic) male who is 5’10” in height and weights 180-260 lbs. He has black hair and brown eyes but he shaves his head. He also has a zodiac cancer symbol tattooed on his arm and has pierced nipples. There is currently a go fund me for Gabby’s family so one of his siblings can travel to Mexico to give their DNA for comparison. Mexican authorities are investigating this case.
Kristopher Fowler, 34, was last seen Oct. 12, 2016. Fowler, affectionately known as "Sherpa" and “Kris” was hiking the Pacific Crest Trail and had started at the border with Mexico with a goal of completing the 2,800-mile trek to the Canadian border. He was last seen in the White Pass area only a few hundred miles from his destination. Kris was last seen at a convenience store in very rural Yakima county. Kris is described as a white male, 6’2” and 165 lbs. He has blonde hair and beard and blue eyes. He is believed to be lost in the wilderness. His step mother still hopes the body can be recovered some day. Those with information should call the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office at 509-574-2500.
Joseph Eric Miranda Jr., 24, has been missing from Granger since May 26, 2016. Reports say Joseph went to his bedroom on May 26, 2016 around 10:30 pm after talking with his father. His mother went to check on him in the morning but he was nowhere to be found. She last saw him late on the evening of May 25, 2016 and initially thought he had gone on a walk never returned. It is unclear if Miranda and his wife also lived at the house with his parents or if he was only staying there. According to one source, Miranda left his wife a note that said he “wouldn’t be seeing her for a while.” Miranda had a bank card and a cellphone with him when he disappeared, but because the cellphone was a government issued phone (a burner phone maybe?) it cannot be pinged. His bank card was last used on May 25th to buy a soda at a gas station and it has never been used again. He left his keys and his car at his parent’s home. There has been some activity on Miranda’s social security card but it is unknown if the user is Miranda or an identity thief. Joseph’s favorite movie is a 2014 film called Wild, about a girl who hikes through the wilderness of the Pacific Crest trail. His family worries he embarked on a similar journey and either got lost of met with foul play. They ask that if Joseph is out there to please contact them so that they know he is alive and well.
Joseph is described as a Hispanic male, 5’7” or 5”8 and 180-195 lbs. He has black hair and brown eyes. Miranda had long hair and a beard at the time of his disappearance and usually wore his hair long but occasionally cut it very short. He wears prescription eyeglasses with silver frames. He has a strawberry birthmark on his chest and a small mole on his upper lip. When last seen he was wearing multi colored swim trunks, a green long-sleeved shirt and superman flip flops. He often wears flip flops, his Rx glasses, and bandanas or hats on his head. If you have seen Miranda or have information please called the Granger PD at 509-854-2656.
Chad Nathan Stotz-Gomez, 36 of Union Gap, drifted between homeless camps at the time of his disappearance, but talked to his mother and other family members regularly. He was last seen on July 10th 2015. He has not been seen or heard from since. Some believe that this case is connected to the case of Cody Turner (details below). The same day Stotz-Gomez disappeared, there was shooting at a homeless camp between Yakima and Selah, Washington. The victim, a 36-year-old woman, was injured but the victim has not cooperated with law enforcement and no arrests have been made. Police found Stotz-Gomez's DNA at the shooting scene. Some have speculated that the shooting is connected to the November 2015 murder of Norma Emmerson, who was shot in the head outside East Selah, Washington. Some reports say Norma had information about a homicide committed by her ex-boyfriend, Raven Cutler. Cutler ultimately pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Cutler told Cody Turner's mother he'd seen Cody Turner (case below) and Stotz-Gomez together in downtown Yakima, but his information has not been verified. Other witnesses believe that the two men, Turner and Stotz-Gomez, knew each other casually and believe that their disappearances must be related.
In the past Stotz-Gomez has lived in New York and Montana and he may have traveled there. At the time of his disappearance, was required to check in weekly with the police. Stotz-Gomez is described as a Hispanic or mixed-race Hispanic/Caucasian male, 5’9” and 180-190 lbs. He has black hair and brown eyes and usually wears a beard. He has the following tattoos: barbed wire on his upper left arm, a skull with wings on his right arm, the letters "SUR" on one hand, the number 13 on the other hand, and a small cholo face on his chest. If you have any information please contact the Yakima County Sheriff's Office 509-574-2550.
Cody Turner, 24, was last seen July 26, 2015, in Yakima leaving the home he shared with his father and grandparents. Cody had been gone that day with his dog Ariel but arrived at the home in the evening where he ate, showered, and picked up some cigarettes before leaving the house again. He had his cellphone on him but since July 28th, 2015 the phone has gone straight to voicemail. According to some sources Cody was homeless at the time of his disappearance but according to others he lived at his grandparent’s house with his father. Cody has a history of meth usage and his family believes he was using at the time of his disappearance. Despite his drug use, Cody’s family said he usually returned home every evening and talked to his family daily. He does not have a history of dropping out of sight or being out of touch with his family.
Cody is described as a white male 5'5 - 5'7, 150 - 170 pounds. He has sandy colored hair and green eyes. He keeps his hair very short and tidy. He sometimes wears facial hair (a goatee and mustache) which he keeps short. Turner's nickname is Cooter. He has two scars, one on his left wrist and one on his abdomen. His ears and tongue are pierced, but he had stopped wearing his earrings and tongue ring prior to his disappearance. Turner has the following tattoos: the name "Natilie" with flames and barbed wire on his right bicep, three skulls with swords going through them on his left bicep, and a tribal stamp on the inside of his upper left arm. Turner has previously fractured his left foot and he smokes cigarettes. His case may be connected to Chad- Stotz Gomez’s case which is why it is included in this piece, even though he has no connection to the reservation.
Justin Lee McConville has been missing from Toppenish since sometime in January 2015. He was 24 years old at the time and was last seen on the Yakama reservation, but often travels to Oregon and fishes along the Columbia River. Some sources say he is nomadic and had no permanent address but others say he lives in Toppenish. Justin is described as a Native American male with long brown hair which he wears in a pony tail and brown eyes. McConville has a half-sleeve tattoo of a Native American man, Chief Joseph, on his upper right arm. He also has a tattoo of a tribal fishing design on his left arm and a tattoo of a Native American design on his back. He is 6’0”-6’2” and weights 165 lbs. Yakama Tribal Police are investigating. They can be reached at 509-865-2933.
Anthony “Tony” Peters, also known as Anthony Colfax Peters, 56, was last seen in October 2014 at Legends Casino in Toppenish. According to his sister, Peters was homeless at the time, living with relatives or friends or elsewhere when necessary, but he regularly talked to his family and friends. According to his sister, Alfrieda, Tony like many homeless individuals had a complicated life. His temper sometimes got him into trouble, but eventually he always came around. His sister remembers him as a natural born artist who did powwow dancing, beadwork, and drawing for fun. He was also a good singer. In the past, he has been known to travel to other nearby reservations such as the Umatilla or Warm Springs. He has also been known to travel to Seattle. He would drop out of sight from time to time, but never for more than a few weeks.
Tony is described as a Native American male with black hair and brown eyes. Peter’s nickname is Tony, and he may use the name Anthony Colfax Peters. He has an overlapped front tooth and one front tooth is missing. He is 5’6” and his weight fluctuates regularly. His missing person case remains open with the Yakama Nation Police Department, number 15-006132.
Roland Elton Woodall Sconawah a Yakama by birth was last seen in either Lyle or Dallesport Washington in November, 2013. Both communities lie on the Columbia river in Klickitat county in what was once the land of the Yakama people. Tribal members have fishing rights in the area even though it is not technically on the reservation. This is where Roland was last seen. The 23-year-old was somewhat transient. He went missing under unclear circumstances. Roland is described as a Native American male with brown eyes and black hair. He stands at 5'6 - 5'8, and weighs 140 - 160 pounds. He is sometimes referred to as Roland Sconawah Sam. Klickitat county sheriff’s office 509-773-4545, is investigating.
Ira Kennedy Yallup Sr. was last seen at the Lone Pine fishing site near The Dalles, OR. in May 2010. His family has offered a $1,000 reward for information about his whereabouts. He is a Native male in his 50s with black hair. No other vital statistics are available and he does not even have a Charley Project page. Yakama tribal police are investigating.
Francisco Javier Mendoza was 27 years old when he was last seen in the early morning hours of June 8th 1994 leaving a 7-11 convenience store in Toppenish. Francisco was with two friends at the time. Later that morning, the three friends were outside of Toppenish when their car broke down. Francisco apparently went walking in the direction of town in order to get help and vanished into the night. He has never been seen again. Few details are available and his friends’ story is considered suspicious. Francisco is described as a Hispanic male, 5’5” in height weighing 160 lbs. He has black hair and brown eyes. Mendoza may have a mustache, beard or a goatee. Some agencies may spell his first name "Franciso." He was wearing a white tank top, shorts and sneakers when he was last seen. Toppenish police are investigating, 509-865-4355.
Lawrence Jay "Larry" Riegel, 57 of Yakima worked as a carpenter and contract pilot before breaking four vertebrae, and injury that left him disabled. Right before going missing Larry had a surgery on his neck and some sources claim he was in a neck brace. Unable to work, Riegel was collecting disability. The last contact anyone had with Larry took place on Christmas day, 2009. He contacted several relatives and friends including a call to his mother to thank her for some clothes she bought him for the holiday. He was supposed to join his family in Yakima for a belated Christmas dinner on Dec. 26, 2009, but he never showed up or called. Riegel’s family described him as a “chatty Cathy” who talked to just about anyone and had daily phone contact with his friends and family. Riegel’s last phone call took place at approximately 5:30 pm on Christmas day. It is believed that the call was made to Riegel’s tenants who rented a farm from him in Union Gap, a town on the reservation. His tenants owed him $3000 in back rent.
Riegel lived with his girlfriend, Ladena Mann before he went missing. Mann claimed that the couple argued on Christmas day and Riegel left the home presumably to go see his tenants. She also claimed that Riegel assaulted her either on Christmas day or on January 4th before disappearing. When Mann tried to report this assault weeks later, she was unable because she had no injuries or proof of violence. Mann used Riegel’s money and EBT card after he disappeared as well as applied for her own EBT card claiming she still lived with Larry. Mann was charged with welfare fraud and perjury, but charges were dropped when she paid back the money and entered a diversion program. In one media interview she claimed that Larry is still alive and that he has “contacted several people” since going missing. She thinks Larry is residing in Idaho or Montana and has accused his family of knowing where he is. Ladena Mann is a person of interest in Larry’s disappearance as are his tenants, the last known people to have spoken to him. Riegel’s family is offering a $25,000 for information in the homicide investigation that leads to his remains. They have billboards all over the Yakima valley asking for information. Larry’s mother, aged 90, still drives around rural areas searching for his body.
Riegel is described as a white male with gray hair, a gray mustache, and hazel eyes. He is 6’2” and weights 200 lbs. He has surgical scars on his left knee and a prominent vertical scar on his neck from recent surgery to fix four broken vertebrae. He often wears eyeglasses and he has a limp in his left leg. He is also an alcoholic who frequented neighborhood bars. Yakima Police Department Yakima Police Department (509-576-6573) is investigating.
Donnie Sampson, 71, a well-known religious leader, had been serving for eight years on the Tribal Council’s Code of Ethics Committee when he disappeared in the fall of 1994 while hunting elk about 45 miles west of White Swan, near Mt. Adams. Donnie had a heart problem and had been prescribed nitroglycerin as a result. Right before his disappearance, he told his daughter that he (and the ethics committee) “was getting into something that’s going to make everybody mad.” He even went so far to tell her that he would be “making enemies” and that she and the community would hear about his findings soon enough. He had been investigating rumors of corruption in the tribal council and the housing authority before he went missing, but other committee members refused to elaborate on the matter.
Donnie’s truck was found Oct. 30, 1994, in the foothills of Mount Adams by volunteer searchers, but searchers found no trace of Sampson. His nitroglycerin, lunch, clothing and three rifles were found in his truck. A fourth rifle he left home with disappeared with him. Donnie’s children say tribal police has done little to investigate the disappearance, which they believe is a result of foul play. For example, his children were never interviewed and his truck was found by volunteers, not official search and rescue. Tribal authorities believe that the elderly Sampson simply got lost while hunting. There are no photos or description of Donnie Sampson available. He does not even have a Charley Project page. Tribal police are investigating.
Roland Jack Spencer III disappeared in late May 1984. He was 3 years old when last seen in the area of Knight Lane and Campbell Road in Wapato, although some sources say he was last seen in Toppenish. Roland is presumed to have been abducted by a non-family member, when he was in the yard. Curiously, Roland’s mother died under suspicious circumstances several years earlier (her case is featured in my previous write up). After her death Roland moved in with his great-aunt. Roland is described as a 3-year-old Native American male, with black hair and brown eyes. Roland has a scar on his abdomen. His nickname is Do-Boy and he may go by his middle name, Jack. Roland has some severe medical issues and disabilities. One website explains that Roland experienced brain damage in the womb which lead to his medical issues. Despite his hardships, he was a happy child who loved playing with cars. He is classified as mentally disabled, hard of hearing, and suffers from epilepsy. He takes medication to control his condition and may fall into a coma without it. He can only walk a few steps at a time and has very limited vocabulary and speaking skills. He was last seen wearing corduroy pants, a long sleeved red and white shirt, and tan boots. His was declared legally dead in 2000. Yakama tribal police are investigating, (509) 865-2933.
Murdered
Darryl Keith Celestine of Zillah, was murdered Sept. 25, 1988, in Wapato. He was found strangled outside his home. Darryl, a Yakama, was only 22 years old at the time. His murder is unsolved. Very little information is available.
What happened to these men? Why are so many people missing from such a sparsely populated area?
Sources
These sources are a good place to start.
https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/loved-ones-of-missing-and-murdered-men-and-boys-also-wait-for-answers/article_99d6a596-befe-5860-aa5d-a8fef822725f.html
https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/lower_valley/one-year-later-white-swan-quintuple-homicide-suspects-awaiting-trial-law-enforcement-targeting-crime-in/article_4ed98a29-a273-573c-8af1-031fdec6d248.html
https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/they-need-closure-families-of-men-who-went-missing-in-yakima-county-ask-for-publics/article_11358e29-b133-5458-9f13-acf4face7abe.html
The Charley Project and NAMUS
If you are interested in this issue as a whole, I suggest this podcast by Canadian journalist Connie Walker who explains and dives deeply into the issues discussed in the piece. You can listen to the podcast Missing and Murdered here: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/findingcleo/missing-murdered-who-killed-alberta-williams-1.4556030#:~:text=Sparked%20by%20a%20chilling%20tip,in%20British%20Columbia%20in%201989.
If you are interested in the cases of other missing Native Americans, my write ups on the Teekah Lewis and Bryce Herda cases can be found here on my reddit profile. https://www.reddit.com/useQuirky-Motor

Missing and Murdered Indigenous women
If you have spent any time reading about true crime, you probably know that American Indian/ Native American women go missing from the United States and Canada at alarming rates. On some reservations, women experience violence and are victims of homicide at 10x the rate of women in other communities. It is a complex issue with prejudice and jurisdictional issues playing major roles. If you want to know more about the root of these issues, I suggest Missing and Murdered” podcast by Indigenous Canadian journalist Connie Walker, who explains the issues much better than I ever could; that podcast is linked below. Today, I want to highlight the stories of some of these women, specifically those missing from the Yakama community.
Background
Washington state is home to the fifth largest Indian reservation in the United States, the Yakama reservation, which is home to the Klickitat, Palus, Wallawalla, Wenatchi, Whishram, Wanapum, and Yakama people. According to the US Census Bureau, only the Osage, Puyallup (also in Washington state), Navajo, and Choctaw reservations are more populous. The Yakama reservation is located in South Central Washington state, just south of the city of Yakima. Of the 31,000 people who live on the reservation, 11,000 are enrolled tribal members. Most people who live on the reservation claim Hispanic/Latino, white, or mixed-race ancestry, but Hispanic is by far the most common ethnic group. There are also small Filipino, Japanese, and Korean communities nearby. The Yakama reservation is located just south of the town of Yakima, Washington, a large farming community of 100,000 people. Apples, cherries, peaches, pears, and hops are all grown in the dry surrounding region. Harvest time brings thousands of migrant workers to the area, so the population is always in flux.
Outside of Yakima is the town of Union Gap (Pop. 8000), which is partially on the reservation, and partially off it. There are two other proper towns on reservation, Toppenish (pop. 8000) and Wapato (pop. 5000). Other small communities such as Satus, Harrah, White Swan, and Granger all boast several hundred residents each. All in all, the Yakama nation consists of 2,200 square miles of sprawling, rural land stretching from south central Washington nearly to the Oregon border. But from this unassuming patch of high desert and grassland, more than 30 Native women have gone missing/were murdered. If we add Native men to the equation, the number jumps to nearly 50 unsolved disappearances, deaths, and murders. If we add the deaths and disappearances of non-native people missing from the reservation, the number grows yet again. Although the land is vast, the tribal population is small. From my estimates over .5% of native people on the reservation are missing or murdered. Like many tribal communities, unemployment and poverty is common, appropriate housing is scare, and according to the tribal council "disregard for the rule of law and general civil unrest" as well as gun violence and substance abuse is common. In 2019 a youth curfew was instated after a particularly bad shooting.
According to the Washington State Patrol, the Yakama nation has the highest percentage of missing people of any Native community in the state, even though they are not the most populous. The FBI created a task force in 2009 to investigate the possibility of serial killer among the Yakama, but the investigation determined that a serial killer was unlikely, but not impossible. This was because the causes of death were so different from victim to victim. The investigation did close two cases on the reservation after DNA on both women linked them to a man serving life in an Oregon prison, but the man is not believed to be responsible for any other crimes in the inquiry. Whether a serial killer is loose on tribal land or not, this issue is complex and long standing and demonstrates how much substance abuse, domestic violence, and random crime affect the Native communities in this county at 10x the rate of other communities. Some progress has been made such as state bill 2951 which allows Washington state authorities to track cases and help investigate and search for missing individuals on tribal land. Because tribal lands are usually under federal jurisdiction, state authorities are not able to help, despite being more familiar with the area than the FBI. This is only one small step in the right direction and although awareness is growing, the epidemic of missing and murdered indigenous people will not simply go away. The mystery of vanishing people still stands.
Many people have heard of this epidemic, but few know the names of the victims; today it is time to change that. Below are the profiles of 35 women who are missing, murdered, or who have suffered mysterious deaths. For some of the women very little information is available. The list below is not necessarily complete. If you know of other unsolved cases let me know in the comments below.
Quick guide:
Yakima- large town near, but not on, the reservation
Yakama- the tribe and people group
NOTE: all cases organized most to least recent and are broken down into missing, murdered, and mysterious categories
Missing
Tiana Cloud went missing from Yakima on April 7th, 2018. She was 17 years old at the time. She may be in local area, and she may have been located. She is a Native female, 5'4 ft, 162 lbs., brown eyes and brown hair. She has large dimples. Tiana was last seen Yakima WA. Very little information is available. Yakima police are investigating.
Freda Knowsgun or Knowshisgun has been missing since October 18th, 2016. Freda was from Montana and was registered with the Crow Agency. In the months before her disappearance her family reported that she was acting strangely and began drifting around the Northwest and spending time in southern Washington state. Freda was still close to her aunt and talked to her children sometimes, but was distancing herself from the rest of her family. Freda was last known to be at a customer service desk at a Walmart in Kennewick, Washington. Freda used her cell phone to call a friend to ask for money. She wanted to travel back home to Montana to spend Halloween with her children. Freda’s friend sent her the money but the money was never picked up. When she called Freda 15 minutes later, Freda’s cell phone was disconnected and no one has heard from her since. She did not return to Montana for Halloween or for her aunt’s funeral in November and she was reported missing. Freda’s family believes that she was abusing drugs at the time of her disappearance and they believe that Freda’s new friends in the drug scene may be involved with her disappearance. Law enforcement has reported that Freda’s new friends have not cooperated with the investigation into her disappearance. Freda may have been seen in Billings, Montana in December 2016 and she may be traveling with a black male named Mike. Freda is reported to be a 34-year-old Native American female with dark brown hair that is waist length which she wears in a ponytail or high bun. She has brown eyes, a scar on her right elbow, weights 160 lbs. and stands 5’5” in height. She has the following tattoos: the names "Lyrical", "Trinity" and "Mason" on her back between her shoulder blades, the cartoon character Mickey Mouse with a basketball on her right calf, and a flower on her right shoulder. She may use the last name "KnowsHisGun" and many accounts refer to her by that name. Her case is being investigated by Crow Agency Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Rosalita Faye Longee disappeared from her grandmother’s home in Wapato, Washington on June 30th, 2015 at 10 pm. Rosalita who went by Rose was 18 years old at the time. She is an enrolled member of the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes in Montana but had lived with her grandmother on the Yakama reservation since age 2. Rose visited her grandmother on the night of June 30th asking to stay with her but her grandmother refused as Rose was high on drugs at the time, and she had a rule that Rose could only live there when she wasn’t using. Rose may have been with friends at the time. Rose had struggled with addiction for years and had been in and out of rehab centers since age 16. This was the last time Rose was ever seen alive. Rosalita is described as a Native American female, 5’6”- 5’8” in height and about 130-140 lbs. She has black hair, brown eyes, pierced ears and lip, and scars on both wrists and both her chest. At the time of her disappearance she enjoyed taking photos and posting them on her Facebook page. Yakama Nation tribal police are investigating.
Roberta Jean Raines, 19 was last seen in Toppenish on July 10th, 2001. Roberta was with a man named Jose Merced Zamora at that time. In 2002, this man killed a teenage boy and fled the county going to Mexico. Roberta was apparently with him at the time. It was around this time that Roberta’s family realized they had not seen her in a while and they reported her missing. Jose was arrested in 2007 in Idaho and taken it custody for the murder of the boy. Jose Merced Zamora told the authorities that the last time he saw Roberta she was in Mexico and that they parted ways. Authorities do not believe this story. Roberta is described as Native American female, 5’2”-5’3” in height and 120 lbs. She has very arched eyebrows. Toppenish Police are investigating.
Karen Louise Johnley, sometimes referred to as Karen Johnley-Wallahee, was reported missing November 7th or 8th, 1987 by her cousin. She was last seen by a friend at the Lazy R Tavern in Harrah on the Yakama reservation. Karen’s cousin describes Karen as a 29-year-old female, five feet tall and 100 lbs. She was last seen wearing pink barrettes in her hair, a pink tee shirt, a Levi’s brand denim jacket, and white tennis shoes. She had long black hair and brown eyes. Her cousin expressed worried about the person Karen was last seen with. No pictures are available of Karen and she does not even have a Charley Project page. Tribal police are investigating. She remains a missing person.
Daisy Mae Tallman or Daisy Mae Heath age 29, was reported missing on October 29th, 1987. When her family was questioned it came to light that no one had seen Daisy since the end of August, 1987. Daisy’s sister remembers her as very independent, often leaving the reservation to visit friends and family on a different reservation in Warm Springs, Oregon, or leaving the area to go fishing. Daisy was a high school basketball player and was the youngest of 6 sisters who were all raised by their maternal grandparents. At the time of her disappearance, Daisy was staying with relatives in either Toppenish or White Swan. A year after she disappeared a set of keys and a backpack believed to be Tallman’s/Heath’s were found in a closed area of a reservation called Soda Springs. 7 years after her disappearance she was declared legally dead. One source mentions that one of Daisy’s sisters was murdered before her disappearance but I could find no corroborating source. Daisy is described as a Native American female aged 29 with black hair that extended down her back and brown eyes. She was 5’5’ and weighted 185 lbs. She also has given birth in the past. No pictures are available of Daisy and she does not even have a Charley Project page. The FBI is investigating. She remains a missing person.
Janice Marie Hannigan a sophomore at White Swan high school was the oldest of 7 children. In 1971 Janice’s parents had recently separated and Janice was living with her father in Harrah, Washington but visited her mother and younger siblings often. Janice was nominated to be Queen of the Veteran’s day parade in November 1971 and the newspaper even ran an article about her and the other nominated girls. According to her interview in the paper, Janice enjoyed beadwork, cooking, and watching football. A few weeks later on December 21st Janice was admitted to the hospital for the treatment of contusions on her head and torso. On December 24th she was released from the hospital in stable condition. The cause of Janice’s injuries, as well as the location she was treated at is unknown. Janice never made it home from the hospital; this was the last time anyone ever saw Janice alive.
Strangely, this was not the first time Janice had been reported missing. Janice may have been reported missing in February or March of 1971, although she was determined to be visiting relatives in Idaho with her father at that time. Because of this some agencies report that Janice went missing March 1st 1971 but that is not accurate.
Some agencies report that Janice is a possible runaway as she was upset about her parent’s separation, although Janice had never runaway before. One Law Enforcement office reports that Janice’s father is a person of interest in her case, but Janice’s sister Traci Clark denies this notion and says it is “not possible.” Traci was only 8 years old the last time she saw Janice, but she still looks for her big sister any chance she gets.
Murdered
Angela Marie Heath of Toppenish, aged 41 died on April 5th, 2019. Her death is an unsolved hit and run. Very little information is available. Washington state patrol is investigating. She may (key word may) be related to Daisy Tallman-Health located above.
Rosenda Strong a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Oregon, was last seen on October 2nd, 2018 climbing into an acquaintance’s car, reportedly an older Nissan, heading to Legends Casino in Toppenish. Legends is an alcohol-free resort and Casino on the reservation popular with locals and tourists alike. Rosenda never returned from the Casino and sadly her body was found in a discarded refrigerator nine months after she was last seen in July 2019. Her death was ruled a homicide but no other details have been released. Rosenda’s sister said that at first tribal police did not take the disappearance seriously as Rosenda had past problems with drugs and they believed she would come home soon. Rosenda’s sister, Cissy Reyes nee Strong, believes that the murderers are the fellow tribespeople Rosenda was last with and complains that she still sees them “walking the reservation free” and refusing to talk. Cissy remembers her sister for her big, loud laugh and she hopes that someday Rosenda will get justice. The FBI is investigating.
Jedidah Moreno was last seen alive in September, 2018 by her family in the city of Yakima, which is not on tribal land. The 30-year-old was reported missing in late November 2018. Her body was found in early December and she had been dead at least a few days. She had died from a gunshot wound in a rural part of the reservation that was closed to non-tribal members. One report (a blog) claims that Jedidah was a member of the Yakama nation but no other sources state this, so take this information with a grain of salt. Her case remains unsolved. City of Yakima police and the FBI are investigating. Little information is available.
Linda Dave 39 of White Swan, was last seen alive in late 2016 or early 2017. On February 15th 2017, a woman was found dead under a bridge in Toppenish. It was determined that the woman died from a gunshot wound to the stomach and had been dead approximately six weeks. The woman was identified via DNA as Linda Dave. Linda was a mother and grandmother who enjoyed spending time with family, cooking, and dancing. She is the niece of Janice Hannigan, the first woman detailed in this piece. One local funeral home called Heggie’s has a website where people can share condolences to the family or stories about the deceased. In a cruel twist of fate one of the messages on Linda’s page is from murder victim Rosenda Strong. The FBI is investigating Dave’s case.
Minnie Andy was a 31-year-old Yakama woman who enjoyed fishing and swimming. Minnie was found beaten and close to death near 70 Egan Road in Wapato, Washington on July 9th, 2017. She had been badly assaulted earlier that morning and she tragically succumbed to her injuries at Astria Regional Medical Center in Yakima several hours later. Her cause of death was blunt force trauma. Christopher Lagmay was indicted for her murder shortly thereafter but he would be released from jail in 2019 without prejudice, meaning if new evidence arises, he could be re-tried. Her murder is still unsolved.
Destiny Lloyd, aged 23 disappeared on Christmas day 2017 from her home in Wapato. Her body was found in Harrah, Washington four days later. Initially, it looked like Destiny had died after slipping and falling on the concrete, causing a head wound but a full autopsy would reveal that her death was a homicide and that she died from blunt force trauma. Destiny worked at Legends Casino as a childcare worker. Her co workers remember her fondly and hope her case will be solved. The FBI is investigating.
Naoma George mother of six from Wapato, Washington was found dead in 2013 from trauma to her abdomen. Her death was ruled a homicide. Naoma was a traditional Yakama who did bead work and gathered traditional plants to keep the Yakama culture alive. Naoma was laid to rest in a traditional ceremony at the Longhouse surrounded by friends and family. Her case is unsolved and little information is available. Yakama Nation tribal police and the FBI are investigating.
Barbara Celestine aged 44 was a tribal member who lived in Wapato, Washington. She was found dead of blunt force trauma outside a housing project in town in 2013. Her death was ruled a homicide. The Yakama Nation police and the FBI are investigating the murder. Very little information is available.
Skeletal remains found in late 2008 in a remote part of the Yakama Reservation are believed to be those of a murder victim. The Doe was unknown until the FBI Seattle office mentioned the remains in early May 2009, when announcing the results of the FBI's approximately two-year-long analysis of reservation deaths which was spurred on by a March 2006 meeting with then-United States Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Until that point the fact that a doe was found was not public knowledge. The bones were found in a remote area near the backpack of missing person Daisy Mae Heath (Tallman). In early May 2009, Special Agents were awaiting mitochondrial DNA test results on those remains, which they said then might be those of Daisy Mae Tallman/Heath. The tests were inconclusive and there was insufficient evidence to conclude that the bones belonged to Daisy. The FBI has not released further information on the remains. This Jane Doe is on no public databases (NAMUS, Doe Project) as far as I can tell. The FBI is investigating.
The triple homicide of Charmaine Sanchey, 47, Toni Marie Green, 43, and Steve Alvarado, 52 is still unsolved. Their beaten and stabbed bodies were found in a small trailer outside Toppenish on Jan. 16, 2003 by their landlord who came over to collect their rent check. He found the women dead in the bedroom and Steve dead in the main living area. The trailer was on the reservation but it is unclear which victims (if any) were tribal members. Authorities say that they have few leads and few suspects. Later, Charmaine Sanchey’s brother, Arthur Joseph Sanchey, was the primary suspect, but was acquitted of charges in July 2004. The brutal triple homicide is still a mystery.
Sandra Lee Smiscon did not die on the reservation but I believe her case deserves a spot in this piece. In the year 2003, Sandra was a 45-year-old mother of 3 children who split her time between Wapato and Seattle. After high school, Sandra got a job in a nursing home and mothered three children. After her personal relationships fell apart Sandra became lost and her children were placed in the custody of their fathers and other family members. She often traveled to Seattle and did odd jobs but was basically drifting around. According to her brother Walter, Sandra was a “party animal” who loved having a good time but sometimes let the drinking get the better of her. Despite her flaws he remembers his sister as a somewhat shy individual with a huge, bright smile who taught her younger daughter the art of traditional dance. Sandra traveled home regularly for family events and holidays but never stayed for long.
One day Sandra and her companions were sleeping near 4th and Yesler streets in Seattle when a man, angered by nearby fireworks shot into the homeless camp aimlessly, injuring a few people and killing Sandra. Her 2003 murder is still unsolved. Sandra’s name is part of the Fallen Leaves memorial, a place of remembrance for deceased homeless individuals as a way to give them dignity and a place to be remembered. Her case is still unsolved. The suspect is described as young man in his 20-30s with a dark complexion but of unknown race. Seattle police department is investigating.
Shari Dee Sampson Elwell age 30, had not been seen for weeks when her battered and sexually mutilated body was found in a remote area by hunters near White Swan. Her body was found during February 1992 in the middle of a blizzard. She had been beaten, mutilated, and strangled. Little has been done to solve her case and very little information is available.
Skeletal unidentified Native woman believed to be in her late 20s or early 30s were found on Feb. 16, 1988, near Parker Dam in Union Gap. Her cause of death has not been determined but her case has been ruled a homicide. She had been dead from 2-10 months. She is described as a Native female, 25-40 years old with dark brown hair that had been bleached light brown in the front. She was wearing lavender colored pants, a long sleeve shirt with a Mexican label, and brown bowling shoes, one with a black sole and one with a white sole. She was slight and short 4’11” to 5’1”. She is not Daisy Tallman/Heath or Karen Johnley. Despite her heritage she is NOT believed to be Yakama; she may be from Mexico and perhaps a migrant worker as her clothing had Mexican labels.
JoAnne Betty (Wyman) John the 44-year-old mother of eleven children, was reported missing on August 1st, 1988. A partial skeleton was a discovered in February 1991 which was determined to be John’s. Her cause of death was ruled “homicidal violence.” Little information is available in her case. The FBI are investigating.
Rozelia Lou (Tulee) Sohappy, 31, of Brownstown was last seen alive New Year’s Eve of 1988. Her partially clothed body was found March 13, 1989, in a remote ravine along the south slope of Ahtanum Ridge north of Brownstown. She was identified through dental records, and an autopsy concluded she had been strangled. Very little information is available.
Jenece Marie Wilson was 20 years old in August 1987. The young woman who lived in Toppenish, when to a party one night and then left the next morning to hitch hike to her boyfriend’s place in Sunnyside, Washington but she never made it. On August 9th a farmer found the body of a woman in his orchard which was so severely beaten it was hard to establish her identity. Dental records confirmed that the body belonged to Jenece and she had died from a blow to the head. In 2009, twenty-two years later DNA evidence was run through the system and there was a hit. The DNA matched an Oregon convict, Samuel Posada. Samuel had attended the same high school as Jenece but the two did not appear to know each other. He was arrested and charged with murder and rape. Strangely, Posada waived his right to jury trial but was acquitted of all charges by the judge in his 2011 trial. Jenece’s case has been cold ever since.
Babette Crystall Greene was 26 years old and lived in the town of Toppenish but was last seen in Yakima, Washington in October 1986. A member of the Warm Springs tribe in Oregon, her skeletal remains were found during the summer of 1987 off North Track Road near Wapato, Washington. Her cause of death is listed as “homicidal violence.” Very little information is available.
Clydell Alice Sampson age 25 of Klickitat had not been seen alive since sometime in 1984 when her skeleton was found by hunters near Hambre Butte, south of Granger, Washington in December, 1986. Her death was ruled a homicide and she died from a gunshot wound. Very little information is available; there are no pictures available of Clydell.
Mavis Josephine McKay was a member of the Confederated tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Oregon. She was 33 years old when she was found murdered in an irrigation ditch on August 13th, 1957 in Satus, a very isolated area of the reservation. Because her case is so old, very little information is available.
Mysterious deaths
Echo Kay Littlewolf was 31 years old when she was last seen alive. Echo is described as a tomboy who loved camping, animals, and being outside. Echo was homeless at the time of her disappearance and lived in a tent on the reservation but contacted relatives often, at least twice a week. She would pop into her parents’ or grandparents’ house to shower and do odd jobs for money for friends and relatives but always returned to her nomadic lifestyle. On August 15th, 2017 Littlewolf’s grandmother had not heard from her in a week and contacted Echo’s mother, Jeanette Osborne, who drove to her daughter’s campsite. As soon as she smelled decomposition, she called tribal authorities who found the body of Echo Kay Littlewolf. Her body was badly degraded due to the hot weather. Her death was ruled “natural causes” and Echo was cremated. Jeanette believes little investigation was done because Echo had used drugs in the past. According to Jeanette, her daughter’s body looked like she had been standing and then fell over after being hit with an object, nevertheless an autopsy was never ordered by authorities. Echo’s family now wishes she was buried and an autopsy could have been performed. Her suspicious death has never been solved.
Angela Babette Billy, 41, of Pendleton, Oregon was an enrolled member of the Yakama Nation. She also is known as Angela Shippentower and Babette Shippentower. According to the one article I could find Angela who went by “Babette” was a victim of domestic violence. Right before she went missing Babette confided to family members that her boyfriend was abusing her. Right after that her boyfriend left her to be with a woman he had been seeing on the side. Babette’s body was found in late May 2013 in the Umatilla River near Mission, Oregon. She had been missing for over a week. She was found by two people on horseback while they were conducting a private search for her. The area was accessible only by foot, horse or four-wheelers, from one side of the river. The area in which she was found was behind the home of her boyfriend’s new romantic interest. This woman, who remains unknown to the public, also had a reputation for drugs and violent behavior. Billy’s cause of death was drowning and while her death has not been ruled a homicide it is considered “suspicious” and not simply an accident. According to family members police did not take her disappearance very seriously at first- a mistake that may have cost Babette her life.
Alice Ida Looney, 38 of Toppenish was reported missing after she was last seen in Wapato in the early morning hours around Aug. 16 or 17, 2004. A hunter found her body Nov. 30, 2005, wedged under a tree on a small island in Satus Creek, about 12 miles southeast of Toppenish. Looney had family on the Cowlitz and Puyallup reservations. The FBI lists the cause of her death as inconclusive. High school and college athlete Rosy Fish, a distance relative of Looney’s, ran four races at a state track tournament (and won 3). Each race was dedicated to a missing or murdered female native relative of Fish’s, which shows the breadth of this issue. Fish’s actions have spurred other native athletes to do similar tributes. Looney’s death is still unsolved. Looney’s family also says they were never interviewed by law enforcement.
Teresa R. Stahi age 25. July 27th 1987 marks the day Teresa Stahi’s body was found drowned in a canal. Her clothed body was pulled from a fish screen in a diversion canal off Toppenish Creek south of Granger. An autopsy concluded she drowned and had been in the water less than 12 hours. The Yakima County Sheriff’s Office said it ruled out foul play. However, an FBI memo listed Stahi’s case as a “mysterious death matter.” Law enforcement now says her death is “inconclusive.” Very little information is available.
Sara Dee Winnier age 24 had recently moved back to the reservation after living in California. She was found at 3:30 a.m. July 22, 1985, sitting upright in the driver’s seat of a burning car off McDonald Road about half a mile from U.S. Highway 97. Her body was badly burned and the coroner used dental records to identify her. Winnier lived in a remote part of the reservation and worked at the Save More Grocery in Wapato. Her death is suspicious and unsolved. Little information is available.
Celestine Spencer, 21 sometimes called Celestine Yallup, of Wapato had been missing two weeks when her body was found at the bottom of a gully in a field off McCullough Road along the north slope of Ahtanum Ridge. She was found Nov. 11, 1982, at the bottom of a hill near a field. Her death while somewhat suspicious was determined to be hypothermia was deemed a probable accident. Celestine’s aunt was awarded custody of her son, Roland, who had some disabilities and various medical problems. Tragically, less than two years later Roland (age 3) disappeared in a child abduction in Wapato and has not been seen since. His Charley Project page is here- http://charleyproject.org/case/roland-jack-spencer-iii.
Lesora Yvette Eli was only 19 years old when a farmer found her fully clothed body along Parton Road near Toppenish on Feb. 2, 1982. She was face down in a drainage ditch. While the County Coroner’s Office listed the death as accidental drowning, FBI investigators claim it is a possible homicide. Her death has never been solved and very little information is available.
Sheila Pearl Lewis, a 33-year-old social worker who worked at DSHS in Yakima was found dead in August of 1980 near Parker Dam in Union Gap. An autopsy showed that she died of massive internal injuries most likely from being hit by a large car or truck. Even though her death is most likely a hit and run, it is classified as suspicious rather than a homicide. Sheila lived on the reservation. Very little information is available in her case.
What happened to these people? Is there a serial killer on the loose? Or simply an epidemic of violence towards women? Hopefully, these cases can one day be solved.
I have been thinking of writing up the stories of missing men and boys on the reservation, if you would be interested in a write up on that let me know in the comments below.
If you are interested in this issue as a whole, I suggest this podcast by Canadian journalist Connie Walker who explains and dives deeply into the issues discussed in the piece. https://www.cbc.ca/radio/findingcleo/missing-murdered-who-killed-alberta-williams-1.4556030#:~:text=Sparked%20by%20a%20chilling%20tip,in%20British%20Columbia%20in%201989.
If you are interested in the cases of other missing Native Americans, my write ups on the Teekah Lewis and Bryce Herda cases can be found here on my reddit profile. https://www.reddit.com/useQuirky-Motor
Special thanks to these sources:
https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/murdered-missing-and-mysterious-deaths-of-native-girls-and-women-on-and-around-the-yakama/article_46068a45-4f5f-5f8e-b37d-198fd98ac5a5.html
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/we-have-so-many-missing-people-coroner-tests-remains-found-on-yakima-river-island-as-families-wait-hope/
https://kimatv.com/news/local/over-one-third-of-missing-indigenous-women-in-wa-disappeared-from-yakima-county-wsp-says
http://lostandmissinginindiancountry.com/Newsletters/July2019.pdf
https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/seattle/press-releases/2009/se050609-1.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakama_Indian_Reservation
http://www.yakamanation-nsn.gov/
https://www.thesciencehippy.com/health/mmiw-the-women-she-represents
http://charleyproject.org/

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Date: 2012-06-13
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Questions	Answers
For my own curiosity, what is your opinion on the use of the terms Native American vs. Indian vs. American Indian? Also, what is your opinion regarding the Cleveland Indians, Washington Redskins, etc.? Edit: I mean their names, not how well do you think the teams will do this year.	Simply put... I think all this "Mascot racism" stuff over the past 7 years or so is complete horse shit. If you want to call your team the Redskins, or Indians, Brave, Seminoles, Fighting Souix or even Ole Miss Rebels, I do not find it offensive. If you want to call a basketball team The Niggers, or WOPs, etc. I will have an issue with it. Washington Redskins is far less offensive (to me) than Washington Savages or Washington Squaws. As long as you don't give 'Native American' a bad reputation or insult the people, go ahead. I hope you see what i am getting at because it is exactly how I feel about 'Native American v. American Indian v. Indian'. Only issue i have with Indian is I get confused sometimes which Indian people are referring to. Even better, if you have a friend and you know what tribe they belong to it is best to refer to them by tribe as opposed to Native American, Indian, etc.
Well, that makes a lot of sense as to why there is so much animosity towards those who do work with human remains. Thank you for taking the time to explain all that to me. So, what areas are you planning on focusing on in your own studies? Are you going to focus on the Navajo, another tribe, or modern western culture/one of the many sub-cultures?	I am hugely interested in the 'supernatural' stories and beliefs of South Western Tribes and hopefully validate/invalidate the superstitions of these tribes, then hopefully do the same with a handful of few remaining tribal communities in the world.
How much money do get for being Native American, if any? Also, do you have any body hair? Where? And how much?	I am enrolled as both Navajo and Choctaw (Miss. Band). I get no royalties from the Navajo and probably never will simply because the Navajo census is way to large. As a Choctaw, they state I must be 3/4 or more Choctaw blood to receive royalties. My father receives funds from Mississippi Choctaw, but it isn't more than 6 or 7 thousand twice a year. As for the body hair, well, i have only slightly more hair now than i did when i was 10. When i TRY to grow my beard and 'stache it ends up being slightly patchy, short but with very thick and straight strands. I have some hair on my arms, bit more on my legs. Nothing on my chest, and the funniest treasure trail in the world, its literally like a dozen strands. HAHA! But i have known many Native females that have never had to shave their legs, ever!
Woah i had no idea native americans dont have body hair but now that im thinking about it i guess ive never seen a native american with a full beard.	They are out there, by dad can grow a real nice beard but i can not neither could my grandfather (fraternal)
Very interesting! Do you do things like fish or hunt out of season?	I do not sir. I am a very law abiding citizen. To do so would be very unethical (all man-laws aside) according to how i was raised. I do love to hunt and fish though. The 31st of May and 30th of June are deadlines for permit applications. I do love my guns and my bow, as much as I love all wildlife. I also hate beef steak, I feel I have been spoiled by the best venison on this green and blue marble. This makes Autumn the best time of the year for me! (ATTN. ALL READERS: This is my opinion and my life style, i do not mistreat or mutilate living beings, as such i ask all 'PETA' and 'Gun Politics' comments kept to self. EXCEPTION, if the afore mentioned topics/issues are presented in a respectful manner.)
Hmm.. I thought it was legal for Native Americans to hunt/fish whenever they wanted. Do you have a typical Native American accent? Because that's how I've been reading your posts.	No, I have a typical accent, if anything it leans more towards Northern Louisiana and Coastal Mississippi.
No disrespect, merely my own ignorance asking here - It has seemed to me that Native Americans often choose not to integrate with the rest of American society. Is that true, and to what extent, and why? Why don't people leave to go to a city? Why don't they go to college when there are shortages of doctors and laywers - is there a lack of interest, or perhaps pressure against 'ditching your community'? Do you think that Native Americans' rights are being respected and properly represented in the government? Coming from Canada, do you know much about Canadian tribes' lifestyles and issues, and how would you compare them (aside from weather-related differences, haha)?	I nothing about the 'First People' as Canada puts it. No disrespect, playful sarcasm is rough to translate through text. -When i was taught about my heritage it was mad clear that "We" have a very rich culture and language and when "We" lose those two things we lose who "we" are as a people. However, I have learned as have my older siblings that it is possible to live not in One world but in Two worlds. One being the traditions of our people while being very active in one's community. (This is from myself, people of the same town are raised differently. Please do not generalize too much) -I left for "the City" for a Higher Education, as did my three older siblings. My Father left Mississippi to attend Az. St. Univ. then joined the Marine Corp. In my family we all agree that options and opportunities are abound off the reservation. I personally am still trying to make my way to a position to legitimately aid my people in their hardships. My Brother has a PhD. in Microbiology and Immunology, my two sister are Nurse Practitioners and one of them is aslo a SSgt. In USMC. Other people may leave for marriage or the "glam' life they see on TV. Basically reservations can be a hard place to get ahead. That being said, education is poor. A lot of kids i went to high school and lower with (no matter ethnicity) saw very little incentive in competing High School much less Higher Education. With many being from very very poor families, drugs and gangs (crime) is an easy means to money. -I do not believe Native American Tribes are being respected or represented as Sovereign Nations should be.
Really interesting, thanks for your answers!	No worries. Thanks for stopping by.
I'm a Black American (descendant from slaves) and I fell that Native Americans had it worst then we did because Native Americans had their land stolen, had several wars with the federal gov't, forced on reservations, tons of broken treaties and then the children taken and sent to boarding schools to remove their cultural identity. *Is it difficult to watch or read things about Native history without getting angry at white people? *How do you feel about Johnny Depp playing Tonto in the Long ranger movie? *How do you feel about people viewing all Native Americans as very spiritual?	To be absolutely honest, I mean zero disrespect but i feel full disclosure is key in an IAMA, there is a shade of history on my Mississippi side that owned some slaves. I am sorry about that fact and in no way am I proud of it. As far as Hollywood goes they get it wrong pretty much every time, so i do not blame them. I do kind of resent Mr. Depp for playing an 'Indian' in an already super racist old time show. He was in the town I lived in for a while, while he they were filming that very movie.
Hi, Thank you so much for this AmA. I'm thoroughly interested in this subject, although I feel I know almost nothing about current Native Americans, and very little about pre-Columbus America. (I'm European, and learned mostly European history.) I have a whole bunch of questions, here's a few from the top of my head. What are the most important parts of your culture, to you, and how do they play a part in your life. Would you consider yourself 'spiritual'? - How do you feel about American society as a whole? - Did you read the book "Black Elk Speaks" (Link to www.cliffsnotes.com and if you did, what did you think of it? are there any good books/movies that portray the live and culture of Native Americans? - you mention problems with alcoholism and drugs, and give Meth as an example. What are your views on 'natural' drugs such as Peyote, and is used much on the reservations. (compared to other hard drugs.) - do you have any tattoos or jewellery that you wear regularly that could identify you as a Native American? Thanks in advance for any answers.	A EURO!!! Y'all are the folks I was hoping for. (Navajo Point of View) (1)For me, and I believe others would agree, the most important parts of our culture is our language. The reason being, the Language itself relates to the area Navajos live(d) in. The most important reason language is so vital is many Native American Tribes pass knowledge including; history, morality stories, and most importantly the Origin Stories. When the language is lost all identity follows. On the subject of faith, I am an Atheist, though I do certain things out of respect of my people and the animals that feed me. This is a rough subject for most Navajos because Navajos are very superstitious. (2)I write volumes on my feelings of the American nation as a whole. (If you want to be a bit more specific on this subject i can try and answer more clearly) (3)I have read Black Elk Speaks, I feel it is more of an Ethnography rather than the personal interviews they make it seem to be. If you want one Ethnography, look for Keith Basso "Wisdom Sits in Places...". this show a great but dry interpretation of why language and landscape link with origin stories for some. Or simply why a mountain is called a specific name in Apache. As for novels I recommend authors; Vine Deloria, Sherman Alexie, Miguel Mendoza and Winona LaDuke among others. (4) I personally loved masculine when i was a few years younger. I feel as though a lot of people think every tribe uses 'drugs' in their ceremonies. The usage of peyote began in mid & northern Sonoran desert, but peyote seemed to migrate with European (in this case Spanish) 'exploration' Fewer tribes use peyote than you may think, so no, peyote is by far the least used drug. Alcohol, Heroin and Meth are the worst devils. (5) I where nothing that would identify me instantly as Native American from day to day, however When I do my suit on or a Tux, I will throw on a small Turquoise choker and a Turquoise and silver bracelet.
As an atheist and anthropologist any comments of 'Indian Creationism' (yes, I'm wikipedia0ing the crap out of this.) (Link to en.wikipedia.org.	Indian creationism and their 'Creation Stories' is a huge part of every tribe. Just as with western Creationism, it was used to explain away many mysteries the stories also served as an avenue by which morality and personal conduct was taught to the children. I respect and am even amazed by these 'Creation' stories. Also, some tribes Creationism can actually be tracked and traced better than those of larger world religions.
Great! thanks for the book tips! If you have some link to some of your writings that you feel most proud of, I'd love to read it. But what I was wondering was your perspective on American culture from a Navajo perspective. - Do some Native Americans (i can imagine especially older people) still see the Americans as invaders. How do you feel about people proudly tracing their lineage to the mayflower, and the celebration of Columbus day and Thanks giving? Do you feel proud of the resistance your ancestor gave to the colonists? - What about Free market economy and consumerism compared to a more balanced lifestyle, with respect towards sustainability and nature. - What about the Red Power Movement? Would you like to tell a little about your Mescaline experiences. - what music do you listen to? - strange question, just curious.	Elders still have a huge lack of trust in white people. Columbus day is fine, i won't expect people to not celebrate it however I personally find it offensive. Its almost like Jewish folks celebrating Kristallnacht. I feel everybody should take the time and learn your heritage and where you come from. I have very proud not only the resistance tribes created I am also very proud of the progress we have made for ourselves but we still have a long way to go as Tribes. -I like pretty much all genres excluding most of all new music like Dubstep and newer hip hop.
Do you think there might be truth to some of the claims, from a creationists point of view, like that the Indians might not have migrated over the Bering Bridge, and that the people on the American continent have been living there longer than, or as long as people in Africa and Europe?	By following the movement and distribution of older Parent languages through the world, one can see the path of migrations of the tribes in the US. But I do believe this migration happened far earlier in human history than most people think.
Do you have experience with living on a reservation? Any interesting stories? What is the most common stereotype about Native Americans you'd like to debunk, and/or is there any stereotype you think is totally on-point accurate?	I lived 2/3rds of my life on the Navajo Rez. and the other 3rds In New Orleans and the Pearl River Rez in Mississippi. As far as stories go, there are so, so many. I have personal stories of being in the stick and coming upon very very odd things. Ancient ruins, petroglyphs and stories of the supernatural. I can not really speak on stereotypes simply because there are so many assumptions that fly around. American stereo type is different from Non-American view. Too add to that, stereotypes trend for decades then a new stereotype trend begins and the cycle continues. What are some assumptions/ stereotypes are you familiar with, and i can answer from there.
OH i have a question since you lived in NO- in general, are native americans in NO okay with the mardi gras 'indians'???	Yea, most folks don't have an opinion either way. A lot of young Natives try to follow USA social norms so as not to stand out more than they already do.
Do you currently live on a rez? What's your occupation? How do you feel about people who claim their American Indian by 1/4? 1/8? Have you read Scalped?	I do not live on the Rez. I am currently a Univ. Student working part time jobs. Claim it if you want, if i know you well enough as a friend i may question you about your heritage but everyone else, MEH. I have not read Scalped, i keep hearing about it over the years. Maybe a trip to the Library may be in order.
You'll have better luck finding it at a comic book store. Or you can pirate it, but you'll probably end up buying it if you do. It's basically The Wire on a reservation. Also, how do girls react when you tell them you're Navajo/Chocktaw?	They are at first -> "Whoa! Really!?! I thought you were (insert random race)." And then they get curious, they start to ask about stereotypes, or what its like to go hunting "like a real indian"-Ms.Ex. Things like that. It seemed that in my University courses people where amazed, professors included, at how out-spoken and opinionated I was. A lot of Native American kids from reservations feel small, lonely and like an out cast. The University kids are the same, very smart people but too afraid to speak up or be noticed.
How is the Silver Star doing? I used to go there a bunch when I was at State, but now the place is just depressing. Is the Golden Moon still closed all week?	Yea. Golden Moon is still mostly closed during the Weekdays. I have not been down that way since this time last year. The Silver Star is well the Silver Star, trying to stay above water. The water park in Pearl River is pretty much dead. But get this, last year a 3rd casino was opened up. PS. Hoddy toddy gosh ol' mighty who the hell are we... bim bam, flim flam Ole' Miss. by damn. GO Rebs!
I hate to tell you this, but ya'll ain't the rebs anymore. Ya'll are now the teddy bears. Damn shame ya'll didn't become the fighting Ackbars though.	Ole Miss is the school of 80% of my family. I went to U. of Az. It pisses me off with all the 'Mascot racism' stuff that goes on. Admiral Ackbar was dope for the few weeks they had him.
I just looked at the new casino, and that is ridiculous. Putting it on I-20 would make sense. But that is so close to the coast, I can't see it drawing anything but locals, in a part of the state with poor and few locals.	I agree, i totally agree. There is a lot of spending going on down there, unnecessary.
Do you get to go to college for free?	HOLY SHIT!!! I wish, I did well enough, academically, to over come my parents' high income and still receive enough 'merit' scholarships (only two of which came from being Native American, which would only cover books) to pay for 2/3 of College, and once i claimed independent on my taxes i was eligible for 'need' based scholarships. So basically i went the route most Americans do.
Did you ever consider going to SIPI in Albuquerque? Correct me if I am wrong, but don't Indians get a free ride there, no matter what?	I never cared for SIPI or the Johnson O'Malley program, i got a better education with less than 10k out of pocket paid. Academic scholarships is the way i went and I am happy!
Wait, I thought if you were a majority or certain % that you were entitled to a free ride?	That is a big negative little buddy. Scholarships like that come from smaller, wealthier tribe. Check out the Pequot, now those kids get crazy loot. Being from such a large tribe (Navajo) with very, very little intake compared to its overhead as a Nation, 99% of scholarships are need based 1st, merit based 2nd and these scholarships are only a couple thousand a semester.
I didn't realize they were handed out by the tribe itself. I figured it was given away by the government or maybe school.	The money comes from the 'Tribe' and Federal Gov't, but all recognized North American tribes are under the real of Federal Law, citizens mainly. So in the end the smaller the tribe the more 'non profit' intake like casinos, the more money the folks get in royalties. It all goes through the Federal Gov't.
Is Elizabeth Warren a native American just because she claims she has "high cheekbones" ... or does she need to have actual native American ancestors to be a native American?	Linage is important, very important. People can claim what they want. Hell, my Grandfather, as a code talker in WWII was mistaken for Japanese because of his high cheek bones. Many Asian & Indo-China folks have high cheek bones.
So, just because someone's mom told them they were Cherokee, and they have high cheekbones, if the only people in their lineage are actual white people, then they're not Native Americans and shouldn't claim they are just because they have high cheekbones. Do I have that right?	Almost. I feel any body can claim anything they choose, in this case Native American, just as long as they do not give 'Us' a bad name. To not be such an ass hole but it seems if you want to claim heritage it always seems Cherokee is the 'go-to' tribe. I will not look down on any one who claims native blood, i just won't take them too serious in the 'Indian" department.
Have you seen the movie Smoke Signals? How accurate is that?	The run down town and mobile home trailers are pretty accurate. The rest of the movie is largely North Dakota fact based satire. However, the underlying family and cultural issues are very relevant.
I feel like in school i was only taught about native americans in a historical context. and at summer camps the bunks would use tribe names. that is all the exposure i had to native americans and i had really no idea about reservations until i was a teenager.	I feel more and more that the reason I did this IAMA was not on a whim but more instead to inform. Do you have any curiosities or questions (don't worry about offending w/ questions)
What's proved the most helpful bit of wisdom to come from your cultural relationship with elder members of your family/families?	Patience for all, observation of all and respect for all. Sounds like a cheesy paraphrase I know.
Indian Gaming...your thoughts? Here in MN the disparity between tribes is immense...age, wealth, health, death rates, drug issues, etc....your thoughts?	I don't know where to start with Tribal Gaming. Personally I have always been against it for both Navajo and Choctaw simply because all the money I saw that would go in to those casinos is local money. The local people have enough issues as it is. Problem gambling has become a serious issue as a result. As someone who is familiar with Tribal Law I see how that money is supposed to be allocated and utilized but no law can deter corruption. Disparity is every where friend and this has always been an issue. I feel the federal Gov't is neglecting their obligations example being Indian Health Services.
A few years back there was a big deal about how the "Native American" gene marker had been isolated, and that it was now possible to get a DNA test to prove/disprove any Indian heritage and what percentage a person is. How does this make you feel? Does it cheapen the notion of being a part of a proud group of people, or is it a good thing that people can learn what makes up their heritage?	I believe everyone should learn of their 'roots'. I can trace my family tree back many many many many decades, but this was important in both Navajo and Choctaw (Miss. Band) tribes, to help avoid in breading. Just as the Jewish folks have clans we Navajo also have clans. This was a way to curb inbreeding (check out European Blue blood). Today, with modern science, techniques and equipment I would love to see what ladder my Mitochondrial DNA ascended.
I've always known that linage is important for Indians, and to hear that it helps prevent inbreeding, it makes perfect sense. Any thoughts on why Cherokee is the "go to" for people claim as an Indian?	I can only give you my ASSUMPTION on the subject of "Cherokee, the go-to tribe". I believe this happens because Cherokee is one if not the most well known tribes. To add tho my opinion i believe the fact that it is an East Coastal where much procreation was had, thus 'soiled' the Cherokee blood (as seen by some) . On an off note, Afro-American folks love claiming "Indian" heritage to explain their weaves. (this is racist and generalized, i admit wrong)
I am curious, what are your religious beliefs and what is your philosophy of life?	My father was raised southern Baptist, my late mother was baptized as Catholic but my father and my father's best friend taught me traditions of the Navajo, however I AM AN ATHEIST. My philosophy, learned from Navajo tradition, is basically Be patient will all, observer everything, respect all.
I'm interested in Native language revival. Do a large portion of Choctaw and Navajo speak the language? What do you think could be done to improve language revival? Also, what types of problems do you see young teens and families face on the reservation? Do you feel there is something that can be done to alleviate these problems? Thanks for sharing your opinion!	Language revival is some what of a 'myth' as far as i am concerned. A very small portion of both tribes speak the language fluently. (2) One of the biggest problems I have seen is lack of 'Quality' teachers. Teachers who instill motivation and academic confidence would be a great start, but the funding some of the schools on and near Reservations are lacking as the classes are overflowing, it is hard to say what could help.
Fellow Navajo here. What movies, books, etc do you connect with more as a Native American Indian that you suggest non-natives watch or read? I think some movies get closer than others to understanding what we are really thinking or what we believe. Are there some that are terrible and not worth the time?	The Dine are not understood enough out to have a film done correctly, but i do have a friend that is trying to convey the low parts of the Rez. Sherman Alexie and Vine De Loria along with Scott O'Dell. These are not ethnographies, these are novels. They seep hard lives in their written words. Read a few, or even watch a a video titled after the book "The Art of Fancy Dancing" There are soo many movies not worth the time. The previous are better resources.
Do you hate the rest of Americans? Are you a US citizen?	I was born American have technical dual citizenship and no, I do not hate the rest of America or the world.
On this note, are you learning either of the languages as an adult? Would you make an effort to have your (future) children learn them?	I had to take 3 semesters of Navajo to be eligible for a few scholarships, but these languages are amazingly difficult to learn. If it is at all possible i would love for my kids to learn the languages when they are young.
Are you excited to see Assassin's Creed III and how Connor, portrays Natives? What's your feelings about ubisoft making a 1/2 mohawk, 1/2 english main character?	All I understood was Assassin's Creed III.
If you have ever seen Star Trek: Voyager, what is your opinion on Chakotay?	Sorry friend, I have never watched Star Trek... No need as a Star Wars die-hard! soooooooo FUCK YOU TREKKIE. HAHA. all love. (star wars)
What are your feelings about the game portraying a 1/2 native american 1/2 englishman character during the revolutionary war?	Never played it man. Sorry, I just know the Assassin's Creed Title. Inform me, por favor.
It hasn't came out yet, here's some of the spoilers, Link to gamerant.com.	I would have to experience it in more depth to make an opinion.
It comes out on halloween this year.	My appeal to it is A) it is a game B) it has problems to solve that are almost on par with First 3 Res. Evil. (opinion from shitty gamer)
	I looked and read a little further into the ACIII, concept of duality seems to be the overwhelming theme, or the conflict there in.
How does tribe names work? Does such a thing even exist?	Collect yourself and try again...
Do native american tribes have some sort of naming customs that are only for the members of said tribe, kind of like a community accepted nickname other than your official name or there is no such thing and your only name si your legal name that is or could be as generic as say, John Smith.	Nicknames are used just as most other people use them. There is nothing special or separate for Native Americans.
Do you belive in aliens :o?	Fuck yes... the simple probabilities say it is pretty much impossible for there not to be at the very least one other intelligent life out there... somewhere.
What was it like growing up with Elizabeth Warren?	I would not know.
Do different tribes have different nations, or is the Sovereign Nation just everybody lumped together?	Every Federally Recognized tribe is a Sovereign Nation to itself.
What are you views on immigration? Do you feel like your NA lineage gives you some authority on this subject?	Immigration is a subject i speak volumes on but to be short and sweet. I believe immigration is ok but as immigrants they need to take the effort to contribute the the growth of the country instead of sapping it senselessly.
Where I live (Southern California) the Native-americans and mexicans hate each other. My question would be why would you think this would be? Also what is one misconception about Native-Americans that the general public is wrong about?	I would attribute the conflict between Chicano and Indio racial 'strong in numbers'. Sorry i am not too familiar with So. Cal tribe too much... the mix down there is so mixed.
Sorry if this was answered already, it's a long and interesting thread! You mentioned gangs...Are the still any rivalries between tribes? Your mother and father are from two different tribes, was there any pressure from their parents to marry within the same tribe/do you know of any examples of this?	Violent rivalries are pretty much dead, but friendly competition is very healthy among US Tribes (basketball, football pow wows and such).
I forgot to ask you what do you believe in as in religion or belief system?	I am an Atheist but i do things from 'traditional teachings' in respect of my people. But god and superstition, sorry I mean 'reason 'and 'why?' is what I have faith in.
Are you paid money for being full blooded indian? I have a friend who received a nice chunk of money for being full blood and 18. :)	No, royalties are mainly for smaller, wealthier tribes.
How?	How not is the better question.
Boxers, briefs, or loin cloth?	Boxer.
I heard once from someone that the funeral tradition includes keeping the body for something like seven days. He said there was some ritual to it; would you be able to explain?	For every tribe, there are differing traditions for each. For the Navajo, the corpse needs to be taken care of and interned withing 4 days of death. The family is allowed another 4 days to complete the mourning process. The remains of the dead are seen as taboo (more the thought of death is the taboo) That is why funerals are set this way. The number 4 is very important to the Navajo tradition. It comes from the cycles of nature. 4 seasons, 4 cardinal directions, 4 stages of living so on and so forth.
My great grandmother was 100% "full blooded" Native american. I have been trying for years to find out what tribe we belong to but have had no success. Is there a certain way I can go about finding out what tribe we belong to?	What area where your great grand parents from start from there. The best way is start working your way back words, most importantly, speak with the oldest person in your family.
Is there a Native American entertainment industry? I see lots of books, films, etc. that involve Native American culture and characters, but most of it seems to be created or at least helmed by non Native Americans.	Yes, there is. It has begin to bloom and flourish in the last 20 or 25 years. There are novels, movies, and dancing all put together and starring on a Native American.
How do you think your culture would have developed without the catastrophic impact of European arrival to the so-called New World?	This is super difficult for me, I say this because European influence was unavoidable. Sorry I could not answer that more concisely.
The peace pipe, is it filled with tobacco, cannabis or something else entirely?	Mainly hand picked and cured wild mountain tobacco and herbal blends. Smoke only during ceremonies and healing sessions.

Last updated: 2012-06-18 21:06 UTC
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