Billboards bring attention to the missing

Town Crier “Briefs from the Region” (2) – 3/30/21

According to a study by the Urban Indian Health Institute, murder is the third leading cause of death among American Indian women. In Montana, there are nearly 600 currently missing women. The epidemic is something photographer Jen Buckley, a member of the Chippewa-Cree Tribe, is trying to bring light to with her photography. Her photos have been printed on billboards outside of Missoula, Havre and Billings and feature portraits of Native women with the words “How many must go missing until you start to listen.” The point, she told KBZK, is for people to stop and ask questions. “Start asking questions, like, well, what does this image mean? What is this? I think once people see these billboards, they have to ask questions,” Buckley said.