Episodes

Today's episode is different. We had the opportunity to look back on past cases and talk about what we've learned over the last two years of hosting We are Resilient. What have we learned? There's still so much work to be done.Support the show

On May 5th, 1987, 24-year-old Christine Lester left her home in Arizona to go shopping and was never heard from again. It would be 36 years after her disappearance that her family would receive the news that her remains were discovered on a rural road in California.We have an update on Jamie Yazzie, a young mother who went missing in Arizona in 2019!Sources:Remains found in 1987 identified as Christine Lester, Navajo woman who had "explicit" letter sent to her - CBS NewsDNA identifies mis...

Your favorite “We Are Resilient” podcast hosts are here with a brand new podcast! We talk, laugh and ramble on about all things Indigenous and spooky!Follow us @sgiliqueenspodcastSupport the show

In April 2015, 30-year-old Jessie Waters' lifeless body was discovered just off Hwy 18 just south of Oglala in South Dakota. Even though her life was marred by domestic violence, there are still no arrests made in connection with her death, and her family is still seeking justice.Sources:https://indianz.com/News/2019/01/28/native-sun-news-justice-for-jessie.asphttps://indianz.com/News/2015/017805.asphttps://www.tributearchive.com/obituaries/11865215/Jesie-Watershttps://www.nativesunnew...

In February 1979, Mona Lisa Two Eagle was last seen leaving her home on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation in South Dakota only to be found two weeks later murdered in a field. Her family is still seeking justice.If you have any information regarding the murder of Mona Lisa Two Eagle please contact the BIA OJS MMU at 1-833-560-2065.Sources:MOU 2022 FBI BIAEquity Action Plan Summary: U.S. Department of the Interior (whitehouse.gov)CREC-2017-10-05-pt1-PgS6361.pdf (congress.gov)Mona Lisa Two Ea...

In May 2016, 11-year-old Ashlynne Mike and her 9-year-old brother were playing together on the Navajo Indian Reservation in San Juan County, New Mexico, when a man they didn’t know — drove up in a van and offered them a ride home. The events of that day led to Ashlynn’s abrupt and violent end, calling attention to the jurisdictional issues surrounding the failed AMBER alert that could’ve saved her.Sources:https://www.krqe.com/news/new-mexico/five-years-after-ashlynne-mikes-death-family-seeks...

On October 3rd, 2016, Larissa Lone Hill, 21, texted her cousin that she was leaving the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota to head over to Rapid City with two male friends. She has not been seen or heard from again.Larissa has brown hair and brown eyes. Her nickname is Rissa, and she may use the first name Lisa. She has identifying tattoos that include “Luda” on her knuckles, a bear claw with writing on her wrist, and the words “Mom” and “Lisa” somewhere on her body. She also has scars on ...

On September 19th, 1984, two Indigenous girls from South Dakota were kidnapped as they were hitchhiking along a highway in Wyoming. While one of the girls survived, 12-year-old Sharon Baldeagle has never been seen or heard from again.Sources:Sharon Baldeagle | International Missing Persons Wiki | FandomJudge Dismisses Murder Charges in Missing Girls' Case (oklahoman.com)Sharon Baldeagle True Crime News: It’s Been 35 Years Since Sharon Baldeagle Was Last Seen in Casper (crimedoor.com)Girl ...

In July 2023, Candace McCulley Kehoe, a 26-year-old from Claremore, Oklahoma, lost her life at the hands of her abusive ex-husband. As we dive into her story, we are reminded that domestic violence is a common theme regarding MMIW. Her story not only highlights just how broken our court system is but how little support and protection these women have from their abusers.Sources:FOX23 speaks to sister of Claremore woman killed in suspected murder-suicide | News | fox23.comDomestic violence ap...

In July 1989, Stacy Bigwitch, 21, of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians was shot and killed by her boyfriend after they got into an argument during a night out with friends. Her killer was arrested and sentenced, but was justice truly served?Rest in peace, Stacy.For links to information found for this episode:https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-asheville-times/130033610/https://www.newspapers.com/article/news-and-record/130033924/https://www.newspapers.com/article/asheville-citize...

Eternity Flying Horse, 13, and Nevaeh Braveheart, 14, both tragically lost their young lives to senseless acts of violence.Although their murders were unrelated and happened within a year of each other (2021-2022), we cannot overlook the fact that their deaths bear similarities.Sources:https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2022/10/20/2130188/--Justice-for-Nevaeh-Police-arrest-man-who-killed-14-year-old-Indigenous-girl-in-hit-and-run-casehttps://www.keloland.com/news/local-news/questions-left-...

Tasha Lewis, 29, was reported missing by her family in March 2021, only for her body to be discovered days later at the bottom of a mesa in Thoreau, Arizona. Police ruled her death accidental. However, her family is adamant that authorities overlooked several key factors that point to her death being a homicide.To stay up to date on Tasha’s story please follow Justice For Tasha Lewis | FacebookSources:Missing, murdered cases face jurisdictional issues - Navajo TimesArizona families remem...

In October 2016, 34-year-old Freda Jane Knowshisgun planned to take her children trick-or-treating on Halloween 2016. Instead, one seemingly ordinary trip to the store led to her mysterious disappearance.Freda’s physical description was as follows: American Indian woman, 5’5” tall, approximately 150 pounds, waist-length brown hair that was always tied back, brown eyes, with a scar on her right elbow and multiple tattoos, she has the names “Lyrical,” “Trinity” and “Mason” tattooed on her back b...

Esmeralda 'Kit' Mora is a non-binary Indigenous person who uses the pronouns they/them and is a descendant of the Penticton Indian Band in British Columbia, Canada. They were reported missing in Omak, Washington, in April 2022. Their disappearance is listed as suspicious, and their family firmly believes they know who is responsible or at least know more than they admit. A $10,000 reward is being offered for information leading to those responsible for Kit's disappearance. They are de...

On September 4th, 2021, 38-year-old Karyn Blue Bird-Mesteth succumbed to her injuries at the Sanford USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls, SD, after she was found beaten the day before. While her cause of death has been classified as undetermined, her family is still seeking answers.Sources:https://www.keloland.com/news/investigates/aunt-wants-closure-in-nieces-undetermined-death/Support the show

18-year-old Madeline 'Maddie' Bills, affectionately known as Maddie B by her friends and loved ones, was a high school senior in Moore, Oklahoma, who was just days away from graduating with honors and a 4.0 GPA when her life was tragically cut short in April 2023. As we dive into her case, please remember that these women and girls are more than the circumstances that happened to them; they had dreams, hopes, and lives to live.Sources:https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12051393/Madelin...

Kristen Huntington, 30, was reported missing on January 10th, 2020, in Fairbanks, Alaska. The discovery of her body days later would unravel details about her violent relationship with Eric Rustad, whose lengthy history of domestic violence would culminate in Kristen's eventual murder.Sources:https://www.webcenterfairbanks.com/content/news/More-details-learned-about-death-of-Kristen-Huntington-567090131.htmlUPDATE: arrest made in murder of Kristen Huntington (alaskasnewssource.com)Rustad R...

Mika Westwolf was 22 years old when, in March 2023, she was struck and killed by a car while walking home along a highway on the Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana. The fatal crash report was listed as an accident, but her family and friends believe otherwise. They know who did it, yet there are no charges in connection to her death. Mika needs justice.Sources:https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12148953/Native-American-girl-struck-killed-suspect-woman-children-named-ARYAN-NATION.ht...

The Alaska Victimization Survey, every five years, asks respondents whether they have experienced sexual violence, violence from an intimate partner, or both. The survey performed in 2020 found that nearly half of adult Alaska women — 48% — have experienced intimate partner violence in their lifetime.Robyn Gray, a 29-year-old woman from Fairbanks, Alaska, was found unresponsive in her home in early July 2017; her death was ruled a homicide at the hands of her boyfriend.Sources:https://www....

In August of 2016, Sherry Wounded Foot of the Oglala Sioux Tribe was found beaten unconscious outside the Lakota HOPE Ministry building in Whiteclay, Nebraska. She died 12 days later; not only does her family believe that Sherry's life could've been saved, but they also believe that law enforcement did not take her case seriously. To this day, Sherry's case remains unsolved, and her killer(s) are still on the loose.If you have any information regarding the death of Sherry Wounded Foot, you are...

In April 1992, the body of Mary Catherine Haymond, 34, of Bryson City, NC, was found shot to death in the home she shared with the man who killed her. We found minimal information about Mary Catherine; if you have anything you would be willing to share about who she was, please email us at weareresilientpod@gmail.com.Sources:https://www.newspapers.com/article/asheville-citizen-times/124066953/https://www.newspapers.com/article/asheville-citizen-times/124067021/https://www.newspapers.com/...

***It’s 2023 Call to Action Week for MMIW and we need your support in seeking justice for our stolen EBCI sister - Marie Walkingstick Pheasant***Please join us in writing a letter to the Federal Bureau of Investigations calling for further investigation into Marie Walkingstick Pheasant's death. Below you will find a prompt you can use and the address to send the letter to.Federal Bureau of Investigations151 Patton Avenue, Suite # 211Asheville, NC 28801To the Federal Bureau of Investigati...

In January 2021, EBCI-enrolled members 29-year-old Jessica Calhoun and her five-year-old daughter Ah-Yo-Ka of Cherokee, NC, died tragically less than a mile from their home in a car accident that has since been determined intentional. With their killer behind bars, her family desperately awaits a trial and sentencing, and justice for Jessica and her sweet baby girl.Sources:http://www.thesylvaherald.com/top_stories/article_90cec328-003f-11ec-8ea7-bfb4b6777c88.htmlhttps://theonefeather.com/20...

Ella Mae Begay disappeared from her home in the Navajo Nation near the Arizona-New Mexico border on June 15, 2021. According to the FBI’s web page on Begay, Begay’s truck — a gray or silver Ford F-150 — was seen leaving her property in Sweetwater, Arizona, the morning of her disappearance and has not been seen since.If you have any information regarding the whereabouts of Ella Mae Begay, please call the Navajo Police Department Shiprock District at (505) 368-1350 or (505) 368-1351.Please fol...