War Cry Podcast

Josiah Hilderbrand went missing in June of 2019. Over a year later his remains were found near the Yakama Reservation, manner of death suspected to be homocide. His mother Liz was proactive in starting a social media campaign to help aid in the search for Josiah. She speaks to her journey not only to the Reservation where he was discovered, but also to her journey of self care, finding a caring community in the Yakima Valley, and sharing her experiences to hopefully help others going through similar circumstances. 

In this episode, we ask questions about reporting true crime on the Yakama reservation involving Native Americans. Our guest Phil Ferolito has 20 years of experience as a reporter for the Yakima Herald-Republic, which is one of the few newspapers in the country to maintain a list of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. We ask Phil about his communication with the FBI and various Law Enforcement agencies. When did he become aware of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People? Did Journalism school prepare him for this? Phil lives in the Lower Yakima Valley, specifically the Yakama Reservation.

#MMIW #MMIWG #MMIP #WarCryPodcast #Yakama #YakamaNation #YakimaValley #YakimaHeraldRepublic

War Cry team shares community feedback from last episode and photos of Tony Peters. 

Anthony Peters (Yakama) was last seen at the Yakama Nation Legends Casino October 2014. His nána (older sister) Alfreda, talks to War Cry about her brother, his personality, his story and what she hopes will happen with his case. Please contact Yakama Nation Tribal Police if you have any information or if you remember the last time you saw him: (509)865-2933 Case #15-006132. 

Abigail Echohawk (Pawnee) is the director of Seattle Indian Health Board's research branch, the Urban Indian Health Institute. She discusses being prayed for by ancestors, being colonially underserved, data as story, and how the absence or mis-categorization of Native peoples in data is an act of genocide. Also discussed are UIHI's reportw, its response from the community and institutions involved.

War Cry Team interviews George Lee Jr. (Pah Tuuthlah) about his mother’s 2003 unsolved murder in Seattle, Washington. Sandra Lee Smiscon’s was named in a report regarding Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. Join us as we talk about the events surrounding her death & her life. George’s talks about family life, the history of MMIW through the Yakama War & the long wait for justice. Trigger warning to our listeners, we discuss violence and abuse. Please take care while listening.

If you have any information regarding this case please contact: 

Seattle Police Department

Homicide Tip Line: 206-233-5000

Updates on Atwai Vanessa Guillen and traditional Yakama terms of endearment and respect for those who have gone on. Oklahoma and reservation land status. We want to hear from you. Leave us a comment or contact us www.warcrypodcast.com

Updates on local cases, resources and the Presidential task force's posting.

Some resources mentioned in this epilogue:

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-TALK [8255])

What is Operation Lady Justice? On June 3rd, 2020, the Presidential Task Force for MMIW/P held a virtual listening session focusing on the Northwest regions. War Cry team members discuss what this means for missing and murdered.