BILLINGS — Supporters of a proposed bill to bring more money to fight Montana's Missing and Murdered Indigenous People's crisis are spreading awareness in Billings with the hopes of bringing change in Helena.
House Bill 83, which would create a special fund for an MMIP task force, had its first hearing this week at the Montana Legislature. In Billings, red T-shirts, signs and other items were displayed at Senior High School in support of the legislation and the effort to find the 48 Indigenous people in Montana who are missing, including 16 children.
The Montana MMIP Task Force is on a mission to bring that number to zero and prevent any further violence against Native people.
On Wednesday, the front of Billings Senior High School was decorated with several red shirts and dresses.
It was a fitting display, especially after the legislation was introduced to create a special revenue account for the Montana MMIP Task Force.
Most of us can't imagine the pain of losing a loved one. But, the Littlebird family in Lame Deer has experienced loss not once, but multiple times over the past few years.
"Having the MMIP epidemic affect our family... it's hit our family directly hard," said LeVonna Littlebird-Graham Wednesday.
In the last five years, Littlebird-Graham has lost two of her nephews, Kymani Littlebird and Josiah Worth Small.
Losing her 19-year-old nephew, Kymani was devastating. He died in 2020 right before high school graduation, where he was eventually found by a pond outside of Lame Deer. Authorities ruled the death of suicide, although Littlebird-Graham says, "there's more to the story."
"You know, Kymani was like my own son. You know, I was there when he was born, and I helped when he was just a baby until he walked. I was there in every part of his life," Littlebird-Graham said.
Those painful losses are the reason why the Littlebird family supports proposed House Bill 83, one that would create a special revenue account for the Montana MMIP Task Force.
The task force works to bring awareness and resources to MMIP cases.
"(My family could've used) investigation resources. 'Cuz I remember in the beginning of Kymani's case, I talked to one of the main investigators and he said sometimes they don't investigate thoroughly (due to lack of resources)," Littlebird-Graham said.
The task force was created in 2019 and was given a 10-year expansion in 2023.
It currently relies on state funding, but under new legislation the special revenue account would allow for external donations, like grants.
"I feel like it would give the opportunity for Montana residents to kind of show their support, instead of relying on taxpayer money," said Charlene Sleeper, an MMIP advocate in Billings.
Sleeper heads MMIP Billings LLC, a local grassroots advocacy project doing similar work as the Montana Task Force.
Sleeper has worked in 2018 to reduce the number of missing and murdered Indigenous people in the state.
"It's incredibly important that we do have a funding vein in order to support doing the work. Doing this work is extremely expensive," Sleeper said.
Sleeper told MTN Wednesday that most MMIP local grassroots organizations rely on out-of-pocket costs, so HB 83 would help organizations like hers.
The exterior funding from HB 83, according to Sleeper and Littlebear-Graham, could ultimately help families that have lost someone, as more resources become readily available for searches and investigations.
"Having that extra resource would help a lot. It would," Littlebear said.
To spread further awareness about the MMIP crisis, Sleeper and MMIP Billings is holding a half-game event on Saturday, January 25.
