“Do you see us?” read one of the posters made for the 5th annual Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Day (MMIP) of Awareness event held in Peshawbestown Tuesday. It’s the official poster used this year for the 2026 National Week of Action for missing and murdered indigenous women and relatives which takes place May 4-8 and is intended to help with efforts to build national awareness about the crisis many tribal communities have and continue to face.
Some signs at the event also read “gone but not forgotten,” and “where are our stolen relatives?” While others had the names of local Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians’ (GTB) members Jacob Cabinaw and Auggie (Augustine) Floyd printed across signs. Cabinaw was reported missing over 15 years ago, and Floyd was reported missing in 2007. Local law enforcement over the years are still searching for tips and leads of the unsolved missing cases with the goal of letting families like Cabinaw’s know that they will never forget their loved ones.
The signs made were used later in the day for a rally as part of MMIP events held by the GTB. This year, the tribe held MMIP Day of Awareness activities for the first time at the Eyaawing Museum and Cultural Center — the agenda included a prayer, welcome address, lunch, the screening of a MMIP podcast, and a time designated as “talking circles,” a safe place to talk about these systemic issues with other community members.
