Building Awareness for Historic Change
by The Office
Senator Mary Kunesh will talk about Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women in Minnesota on Tuesday, June 27, at 6:30 pm.
You’re Invited
Please join, in person or on Zoom, the Land Acknowledgment and Beyond Team of New Branches for a conversation with Senator Mary Kunesh. We will be gathering in the small sanctuary at New Branches at 6:30 pm on Tuesday, June 27, 2023.
Background Information
Across the U.S., Canada, and our State, people are recognizing the historic trauma and the real impacts of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives (MMIWR). Native women are victims at the highest rates of violence, trafficking, go missing, and are murdered In Minnesota.
Following the legislatively created Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Task Force and the subsequent report, Minnesota created the first-in-the Nation MMIR office. With more attention, we are slowly beginning to see resources and research around supporting families and understanding the complexity and wide-spreading nature of MMIWR.
Senator Mary Kunesh, chief author of MMIR legislation, will provide a brief background on this pandemic, share the work being done in Minnesota to address this issue and action steps.
Zoom Info
Living Table members can find the Zoom link and passcode in the Dashboard area. Guests are welcome – request Zoom info through the form.
About the Senator
Senator Mary Kunesh, Standing Rock Lakota descendant, was elected to the MN House of Representatives in 2016 and elected to the Senate in 2020. She is the first woman of Native descent to be elected a Minnesota Senator. Mary retired from her role as a public school library media specialist after 25 years’ service and is currently the Chair of Education Finance in the Minnesota Senate.
Senator Kunesh is the author of the legislation and Chair of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Task force in MN and the first-in-the nation, Missing and Murdered African American Women Task force. She also created the first in the nation permanent office of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives in state government.
Mary has served as an Assistant Majority Leader for the DFL House Caucus and currently holds the role of Assistant Minority leader in the MN Senate – the first Native American to hold that role in the legislature. Mary is a founding member of the Minnesota Native American Legislative and POCI (People Of Color Indigenous) caucuses. Mary lives in New Brighton, is the proud mother of three adults and two granddaughters.
About The Office
Posts from the office are composed by church staff and leadership at Living Table United Church of Christ in Minneapolis, on behalf of the church membership.
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I’m really looking forward to hearing her.
Ann, I also think this will be a very informative event.
I will be out of town on that day, but I would love to attend via Zoom. Thanks for offering that option.
I’LL BE THERE!