Red Sand Project; Medicine Wheel Riders raise awareness on 5-state journey

If you passed by Washakie Museum & Cultural Center Tuesday morning, Aug. 1, you would have seen a dozen or so people filling in cracks in the front sidewalk with red sand as the Red Sand Project made a stop as part of its 10-day, 1,500-mile trip to bring awareness to the crisis of the Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Relatives (MMIW/R) and human trafficking.

Per its website, "Red Sand Project is a participatory artwork created by Molly Gochman that uses sidewalk interventions and earthwork installations to create opportunities for people to question, connect and take action against vulnerabilities that can lead to human trafficking, modern slavery and exploitation.

"Gochman first launched Red Sand Project in 2014, after realizing the depths to which human trafficking and modern slavery continues to be a contemporary reality. She initiated the first Red Sand Project action in Miami, where she filled the cracks of sidewalks in and around the Art Basel Miami Beach pavilion with red sand. The approach was symbolic, with the grains of sand representing those individuals who fall through the cracks - whether the cracks of our social, economic and political systems or those of our personal consciousness."

One of the groups that has fallen through the cracks and that is underreported is the Murdered and Missing Indigenous People, said Red Sand Project Operations Manager Kristen Pratt during the stop in Worland.

The Red Sand Project has partnered with Level Forward and Media Partner Our Body Politic to film a short documentary about the Medicine Wheel Riders. Those riders also stopped in Worland as part of the "We Ride For Her Impact 2023" tour.

According to a press release, "We Ride For Her" is a community-owned, short documentary film that highlights stories that are important and relevant to the needs of Native communities. The film follows two Indigenous women, Lorna and Heather, as they pursue parallel and complementary efforts to search, solve, and prevent the crisis of Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Relatives (MMIW/R). Lorna is part of an Indigenous motorcycle group and sisterhood of approximately 200 women called the Medicine Wheel Riders, while Heather is a travel nurse and devoted mother searching for her sister Susan, who went missing just over a year ago.

"The film follows both women on their quests, including the moment they come together during the annual Medicine Wheel Ride to Sturgis, South Dakota, home of the largest motorcycle rally in America. "Through a deep connection centered in both grief and hope, the women are uplifted by the Medicine Wheel Riders community, and in the process foster healing, incite resilience, and provide a much needed catalyst for tangible change."

According to the We Ride For Her website, "There are currently 5,500 missing or murdered Indigenous women and girls. Murder is the third leading cause of death for Native women, and the majority of these murders are committed by non-Native people on Native-owned land."

The ride was to go over 10 days, on a journey through five states, covering 1,500 miles. The ride began in Chandler, Arizona on July 28, stopped in Tuba City, Arizona, Towaoc, Colorado, Riverton, Wyoming, Worland, Wyoming, Lame Deer, Montana, Rapid City, South Dakota and ended Sunday, Aug. 6 at the Crazy Horse Memorial Welcome Center in South Dakota.

According to the press release, "The Medicine Wheel Riders represent a collective of Indigenous women and allies who journey on a crucial mission to bring attention to the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People, while addressing the unique challenges faced by our Indigenous Women and Relatives.

"Our courageous women ride to amplify the voices of the victims, ensuring their stories are heard and their experiences are acknowledged."