For people unfamiliar with the machines, motorcycles can bring to mind an image of aggression: toughness, leather and loud engines. More often than not, that exterior is not a wall, but a gate, which was exemplified during Arizona’s Bike Week events focusing on missing and murdered Indigenous people. Native riders and allies opened themselves up to the Community to share resources, raise funds and bring awareness to the epidemic through a presentation by Medicine Wheel Ride on April 4 and the Thunderbird Throttle Motorcycle Ride on April 5.

Medicine Wheel Ride 

Medicine Wheel Ride is a group led by Indigenous women motorcyclists who connect resources and provide support for families affected by the MMIP crisis. Formed in 2019, the group has participated in large-scale events like Sturgis as well as keeping close connections with families and individuals facing related challenges through grassroots fundraising. Most recently, Medicine Wheel Riders provided an escort for the funeral service in the Gila River Indian Community of Karen Peter. 

The event packed a long conference room at Talking Stick Resort on Friday, April 4, for a presentation that included guest speakers, a documentary viewing, skill-building exercises focused on prevention and a wealth of resources. Tables lined the hall outside with information booths from outreach organizations such as the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center, Native Health, Three Precious Miracles and more. 

Darlene Gomez, an attorney and owner of the Law Offices of Darlene Gomez, spoke about the legal landscape and considerations families and loved ones have when faced with such situations. Barriers can appear in unexpected ways, but she emphasized that the most powerful resource is support from their community, whether that means a person’s tribe providing a letter of support, or a team of loved ones sharing the emotional labor during court dates, attorney meetings, vigils and interviews.

Another important element of the teaching was centered on prevention. Jim Schmidt, whose stepdaughter Gabby Petito was murdered by her partner, shared the work of the Gabby Petito Foundation and how assessing threats early in interpersonal and romantic relationships can save lives. Situational awareness and de-escalation techniques were also shared by Ratah Weeks of Native Health Phoenix as ways of building resiliency and instilling methods of violence prevention.

The event closed with prayer and a talking circle to discuss maintaining a balance of care for our community and for ourselves while working through trauma, hardship and grief. 

Thunderbird Throttle

For the second year, Thunderbird Throttle had a thunderous presence at Casino Arizona during Arizona Bike Week for their annual awareness ride. This is the third year the Thunderbird Throttle has taken place, and attendance was double that of last year.

Kickstands were up at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 5, as almost 300 bikes pulled out of RideNow Peoria headed to their first stop at the Huhugam Heritage Center in Gila River. The riders were greeted by Gila River Basket Dancers and singers from Chi’chino Spirit lining the road in to welcome them where they stopped for a performance and remarks from Gila River Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis before heading to lunch at Casino Arizona. 

As the roaring engines pulled in, the first to arrive got right in line for lunch. Once the lot was filled with motorcycles and riders were settled in, youth from Phoenix Indian Center could be heard calling for 50/50 raffle donations while their signs bobbed overhead. 

As the guests ate and cooled off before the final leg of their journey, they heard words from guest speakers including SRPMIC Council members Cheryl Doka and Su:k Fulwilder. Each shared the impact they’ve personally felt from the MMIP crisis and the meaning of gatherings such as this to bring awareness and drive change, with Fulwilder discussing how difficult it was to move forward after no one spoke up when her brother was murdered, but how necessary it is for people to be open and kind with one another. “You never know what anybody is going through,” she said. 

In her remarks, Doka thanked Fulwilder for sharing her story. She expressed the importance of these events making it into the national news media but shared that it is a struggle knowing that stories like teenager Emily Pike’s death are the tipping off point, “It’s unfortunate that that’s what it takes to get MMIP out there. So, I appreciate the news being here because there does need to be a lot more awareness for this cause.”

After a hoop dance performance from Keya Hunst-In-Winter, a youth representative from Phoenix Indian Center, riders geared back up and took off for Westworld Scottsdale, where the ride may have ended, but the journey for justice did not.