California MMIP Summit Convenes Tribal Leaders to Address Epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples

For Yurok tribal member Billee Willson, the loss of her mother shaped her life. Her mother, Willson said, adored children. She had six of her own and taught at a Hoopa Valley elementary school. She loved jewelry making and doing beadwork and was exploring basket weaving. She was loved and cared for in her community.

In 1972, when Willson was 15 years old, her mother was shot and killed by her ex-husband.

The death of her mother left Willson and her siblings without an identity. She described moments in life as large, like giving birth to her children, and small, like wondering how to clean stains off a specific fabric. In those moments, she felt the pain of not being able to call her mom.

https://nativenewsonline.net/currents/california-mmip-summit-convenes-tribal-leaders-to-address-epidemic-of-missing-and-murdered-indigenous-peoples