The Women America Keeps Losing

The Women America Keeps Losing

The crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women is often discussed through statistics, reports, and policy debates. Yet behind every number is a person whose absence continues to be felt by families, communities, and tribal nations across North America. In this episode of Beneath the Red Sky, David McClam and LaDonna Humphrey step back from a single investigation to examine the broader crisis affecting Indigenous women and girls. They explore the alarming rates of violence experienced by American Indian and Alaska Native women, the systemic challenges families often encounter when seeking help, and the devastating impact of disappearances that remain unresolved for years—or even decades. The discussion examines how the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) movement emerged from the determination of families who refused to allow their loved ones to be forgotten. From failures in data collection and jurisdictional confusion to disparities in media coverage, the episode explores the barriers that have contributed to a crisis many advocates have been warning about for generations. David and LaDonna also highlight several individual cases that reflect the broader challenges Indigenous families face, including the disappearance of Emmilee Risling, a Hoopa Valley tribal member who vanished in Northern California in 2021, and Ashley Nicole Collins, who disappeared from the Jicarilla Apache Reservation in New Mexico in 2017. The episode also remembers Brandi Lee Krajewski, who was only two years old when she disappeared in 1982 and has never been found. Throughout the conversation, the focus remains on the people behind the headlines. These are daughters, mothers, sisters, grandmothers, students, artists, and community members whose lives mattered long before they became statistics. Their families continue searching, organizing, advocating, and demanding answers, often long after public attention has moved on. This episode is a reminder that the MMIW crisis is not a historical issue. It is an ongoing public safety and human rights issue that continues to affect Indigenous communities today. Until every missing woman is found, every unsolved case receives meaningful attention, and every family receives the answers they deserve, the work remains unfinished. In This Episode: * Understanding the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) crisis * Violence statistics affecting Indigenous women and girls * The challenges of underreporting and database discrepancies * Jurisdictional issues involving tribal, local, state, and federal agencies * The role of advocacy movements and family-led awareness efforts * The disappearance of Emmilee Risling * The disappearance of Ashley Nicole Collins * The case of Brandi Lee Krajewski * The importance of media coverage and public awareness * Why Indigenous families continue fighting for visibility and justice * The human stories behind the statistics About Beneath the Red Sky Beneath the Red Sky explores cases involving missing persons, unsolved crimes, Indigenous justice issues, and the families whose lives have been forever changed by tragedy. Through careful research and victim-centered storytelling, the podcast seeks to bring attention to cases that deserve to be remembered. #BeneathTheRedSky #MMIW #MMIP #MissingAndMurderedIndigenousWomen #IndigenousJustice #EmmileeRisling #AshleyNicoleCollins #BrandiLeeKrajewski #TrueCrimePodcast #DavidMcClam #LaDonnaHumphrey

Where the River Keeps Its Secrets: The Disappearance of Emmilee Risling

In this episode of Beneath the Red Sky, hosts LaDonna Humphrey and David McClam examine the heartbreaking and still-unsolved disappearance of Emmilee Risling, a member of the Hoopa Valley Tribe with Yurok and Karuk ancestry who vanished on October 14, 2021. Emmilee was a mother, daughter, traditional dancer, and beloved member of her community. Before her disappearance, she was reportedly experiencing a severe mental health crisis that her family believes began as postpartum depression and progressed into postpartum psychosis. Her loved ones were actively trying to help her navigate a difficult and frightening chapter of her life. The last confirmed sighting of Emmilee occurred near Pecwan on the Yurok Reservation, where witnesses reported seeing her walking alone across a bridge spanning the Klamath River. After that sighting, the trail went cold. Nearly four years later, Emmilee remains missing. In this episode, we discuss: • Who Emmilee Risling was beyond the headlines • The mental health struggles her family says she was facing • The circumstances surrounding her disappearance • The challenges of searching in the rugged Klamath River region • The ongoing fight for answers by her family and community • The broader Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons crisis At Beneath the Red Sky, we believe every missing person deserves to be remembered, every family deserves answers, and every case deserves attention. If you have information regarding the disappearance of Emmilee Risling, please contact the appropriate law enforcement agency or submit a tip through official channels. Subscribe for more stories focused on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons, unsolved disappearances, cold cases, and the pursuit of justice. #EmmileeRisling #MMIP #MissingPersons #IndigenousWomen #BeneathTheRedSky #ColdCases #UnsolvedMysteries #MissingAndMurderedIndigenousPersons #TrueCrime #Justice

The Highway System of Fear: Why North America's Roads Have Become Hunting Grounds for Indigenous Women

In this powerful episode of Beneath the Red Sky, hosts LaDonna Humphrey and David McClam examine one of the most disturbing and overlooked realities of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) crisis: the role that highways, transportation corridors, and isolated road systems play in the disappearance and victimization of Indigenous women across North America. For generations, Indigenous families and advocates have warned about dangerous patterns emerging along rural highways, truck routes, oil field corridors, and remote stretches of road connecting reservations and underserved communities. Long before national media began paying attention, families were sounding the alarm about women who vanished while traveling, hitchhiking, commuting to work, seeking medical care, or simply trying to get home. This episode explores how geographic isolation, inadequate transportation infrastructure, jurisdictional challenges, and systemic failures have created conditions that predators can exploit. LaDonna and David discuss the vulnerabilities faced by many Indigenous women, the challenges confronting tribal communities, and the ways offenders have historically used mobility, anonymity, and fragmented law enforcement systems to avoid detection. The conversation also examines the FBI's Highway Serial Killings Initiative, the infamous Highway of Tears in British Columbia, unsolved cases connected to transportation corridors, and the broader public safety implications of these recurring patterns. The hosts discuss why awareness alone is no longer enough and what meaningful reforms are needed to better protect Indigenous communities. Throughout the episode, listeners are challenged to consider a difficult question: How many warnings were ignored before these patterns became impossible to deny? This is not simply a story about highways. It is a story about vulnerability, accountability, public safety, and the value society places on Indigenous lives. Topics Covered: • The connection between highways and MMIP cases • Transportation barriers in rural and reservation communities • The role of hitchhiking as a necessity rather than a choice • Jurisdictional challenges involving tribal, state, and federal agencies • The FBI Highway Serial Killings Initiative • The Highway of Tears and similar transportation corridors • Patterns observed in disappearances and unsolved murders • Media disparities in coverage of Indigenous victims • Structural reforms needed to address the MMIP crisis Sources Referenced: • National Institute of Justice – Violence Against American Indian and Alaska Native Women and Men • Bureau of Indian Affairs Missing and Murdered Unit • FBI Highway Serial Killings Initiative • Murder Accountability Project • Urban Indian Health Institute • Research materials and source documentation compiled for this episode Beneath the Red Sky is dedicated to amplifying Indigenous voices, examining systemic issues affecting Native communities, and ensuring that the stories of missing and murdered Indigenous people are never forgotten.

Savannah Standing Bear and the Crisis of Missing Indigenous Women

Beneath the Red Sky with LaDonna Humphrey & David McClam In this episode of Beneath the Red Sky, LaDonna Humphrey and David McClam examine the disappearance of 22-year-old Savannah Standing Bear, a young Lakota woman from Parmelee, South Dakota, who vanished on March 25, 2025. According to her family, Savannah left to spend time with friends after texting her mother in the early morning hours. While the friends later returned, Savannah did not. Her disappearance immediately raised alarm among loved ones who say her behavior was completely out of character. Savannah was known for maintaining close contact with her family and rarely went without communicating, especially with her mother and sister. LaDonna and David explore the extensive search efforts that followed, including the work of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, tribal investigators, volunteers, drone teams, horseback riders, search-and-rescue personnel, cadaver dogs, and community advocates who have continued searching for answers. The episode also examines the broader Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) crisis, including the disproportionate rates of violence experienced by Indigenous women and the systemic challenges that often complicate investigations. Through Savannah's story, the hosts discuss the emotional toll on families, the importance of public awareness, and the urgent need for continued attention to unresolved MMIP cases across the United States. Savannah Standing Bear remains missing. Anyone with information regarding her disappearance is urged to contact the Rosebud Sioux Tribal Police Department at (605) 856-2282. If you would like to help, please share Savannah's flyer, discuss her case, and continue raising awareness. Every share, conversation, and tip has the potential to bring investigators closer to answers. Beneath the Red Sky is dedicated to amplifying the voices of Indigenous families, honoring victims, and ensuring that missing and murdered Indigenous people are never forgotten. Sources referenced in this episode include the National Institute of Justice, the Bureau of Indian Affairs Missing and Murdered Unit, the National Congress of American Indians, the Urban Indian Health Institute, and publicly available information regarding the disappearance of Savannah Standing Bear.

“The Warning We Ignored: How Predators Learned to Hunt Indigenous Women”

In this powerful first episode of a three-part investigative series, LaDonna and David explore the structural, historical, and systemic forces that have made Indigenous women primary targets for serial predators. They expose the blind spots, the institutional failures, and the centuries-old messages that predators continue to exploit. Chapters: * The historical roots of violence against Indigenous women * How predators “read” systemic bias * Why law enforcement responses are slower and less thorough * How colonization laid the foundation for modern vulnerability * The crisis of uncounted missing Indigenous women Why the pattern persists today Support Indigenous-led MMIP organizations. Learn the names. Share the stories. Break the silence predators rely on.