New reward fund may help bring missing Native people home - Feb 26, 2022

New reward fund may help bring missing Native people home

DULUTH, MN. (KBJR) - Find the missing. That was the goal of a gathering at Duluth City Hall Tuesday.

Lawmakers and non-profits announced a new fund that will help the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit people’s movement.

“The fund name is in Ojibwe, Gaagige-Mikwendaagoziwag, which means “They Will Be Remembered Forever,” said Alicia Kozlowski, a Duluth Community Relations Officer.

One person they’re remembering forever is Sheila St. Clair St. Clair has been missing since 2015 and her case inspired this effort.

The fund will provide reward money for information about the St. Clair case or any future cases when people in the Native community go missing from Duluth.

According to officials, the need for the fund may be greater than ever.

“Although Indigenous women make up only 1% of the state’s population, 8% of all murdered women and girls in Minnesota were indigenous,” said Kozlowski.

It’s a joint effort between the city of Duluth and several organizations like the Native Lives Matter Coalition and Mending the Sacred Hoop.

According to Duluth’s mayor, a reward fund like this is a first.

“There is no other fund that has been established. We are blazing new ground,” said Emily Larson, Mayor of Duluth. Their goal is to raise $10,000. As of Tuesday, they’ve raised $6,500.

Officials are confident more donations will be coming in.

A local Native-owned business called Heart Berry will donate proceeds from purchases made at the business on Saturday. The fundraising efforts are all focused on finding the missing, just like Sheila St. Clair.

“I do pray that we bring Sheila home because she deserves that and so do the many people that love her,” said Mayor Larson.

According to officials, people who come forward with information about missing persons cases will receive a reward if the information leads to an arrest.

If you have information to report about the Sheila St. Clair case, please call the Duluth Police Department Violent Crimes unit at 218-730-5050.

Mending the Sacred Hoop is handling the donations to the fund. For donation information click here.

For more information on Mending the Sacred Hoop, click here.

For information about Heart Berry, click here.

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