When Persephone was taken, Demeter’s entire being ignited with fear, love, and righteous fury. Every cell in her body cried out for her daughter, and the earth itself froze under the weight of her grief. In her fierce love, she made the world feel her loss — punishing the earth in honor of her stolen child.
This truth lives on in the lives of Native American women and their families today. Over 84% of Native American women have experienced violence, and more than 56% have endured sexual violence. For us, homicide is the third leading cause of death. In 2016 alone, 5,712 Native American women were reported missing, yet only 116 of these cases were included in the Department of Justice’s federal database. These numbers don’t simply reflect statistics; they echo countless personal stories of loss, of lives stolen and voices silenced.
As a polytheistic Native American woman, I carry this reality. I have lived through violence and endured the horror of systemic underreporting, where experiences like mine were brushed aside. My story is woven into these statistics, and I am not alone.
This month, I dedicate my prayers, my work, and my voice to Demeter and Persephone, honoring all daughters and mothers, and all who feel the weight of these tragedies. These are sacred stories that reach through time, grounding us in our struggle for justice. May this dedication inspire awareness, action, and justice — for all those who have been taken and those who carry their memory.
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