Awareness + Action

May 5th is the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIW). At Urban Indigenous Collective, we expand this day to honor all our stolen relatives , including Two-Spirit, Trans, and gender-diverse Indigenous peoples, through our annual MMIWGT2S Vigil & Prayer Walk in Lenapehoking (New York City).

What began as a day of remembrance has grown into a living ceremony, one that brings together survivors, families, and allies to pray, sing, drum, and walk in solidarity. It is both a mourning and a call to action, reminding us that what happens to our women and Two-Spirit relatives happens to the health of our entire nations.

Vigil & Prayer Walk Highlights:

• Water Ceremony led by Indigenous cultural practitioners
• Candlelight vigil honoring stolen relatives and survivors
• Community Altar for stolen relatives
• Drumming & Songs to honor the spirits
• Fundraising for the Opeqtawmetaemoh Survivors Fund
  
  

We walk for those who cannot. We pray for those who are still waiting to come home.

Our annual MMIWGT2S NYC East Coast Summit is a two-day gathering dedicated to truth-telling, survivor advocacy, and systemic change, the first convening of its kind in the region.

Born from a four-part hybrid (in-person/virtual) series in 2023, the Summit has evolved into a powerful annual in-person convening that unites survivors, advocates, artists, and policymakers from across Turtle Island.

Each year, it builds momentum for a regional movement — one that centers Indigenous sovereignty, survivor leadership, and the sacred balance between healing, data, and policy.

Thematic Pillars of the Summit:

• Truth & Storytelling — Honoring survivor testimony and family narratives as foundational to healing and advocacy.
• Land & Water — Recognizing the deep connection between gender-based violence, environmental destruction, and Indigenous land defense.
• Policy & Accountability — Building East Coast infrastructure for task forces, alerts, and data sovereignty rooted in community consent.
• Ceremony & Healing Justice — Restoring balance through song, prayer, and collective remembrance.
• Innovation & Future Pathways — Indigenizing technology, research, and AI to protect and uplift Indigenous lives.
  
  

Each year’s Summit expands this vision — weaving together ceremony, art, policy, and community organizing to transform remembrance into action.