Finding Ashley: a Native American family's desperate search for their missing relative 

Searching for my sister: America's missing indigenous women | Today in Focus podcast ► www.theguardian.com/news/audio/2019/feb/25/searching-for-my-sister-americas-missing-indigenous-women-podcast

Kimberly is an abosolute angel. I'm sure Ashley is proud of her for not giving up on her, wherever she is now. Should the family read this, I send you all the strength in the world!

I myself am Native, & my cousin is missing also. "Rita J Papakee" since 1-16-2015 we belong to MESKWAKI Tribe out of Iowa in the states, no1 has been able to find her not even the FBI. I pray for all our beautiful indigenous woman to find their way home.

This needs to be longer. More information needs to be put out about this.

Ashley Heavyrunner Losing you will never be forgotten and always loved by many.

These people have been abused so much. The suffering of their ancestors is apparent for generations. They are owed so much. First they had their land stolen. Then they were told they can only stay in certain areas. This is ridiculous already and I hope one day justice will be served.

The pain you must feel... I can’t even imagine. I pray you find her.

This story broke my heart! I can’t imagine if my sister went missing like that! 😔Ashley deserves justice. Her family deserves peace. Ashley is everyone’s sister. More should be done for these women and the Native American people as a whole. Native American lives matter!! Where is their voice and their movement? 🤔

Man from Ione Band of Miwok natives we sent our love and support to you guys and I will let my tribe know who Ashley is and that her family wants her home I pray the creator brings her home and strengthens your family 🙏🏽❤️❤️🙏🏽

When I drive through Blackfoot land I get young girls asking for rides at every stop. It's a real issue out there. Check the truck drivers.

Much Love to you all from your brothers and sisters in Scotland. May the girls find their way home...and all the families find peace.

My stepdaughter went missing, found her dead 3 weeks later, no arrests! AND my sister got shot & killed by a white guy! Not only women go missing or murdered,, there's alot of Native men missing too !! I pray hard that you find Ashley 🙏

Was she ever found? I am a native American that is so disgusted that not once in mainstream media this subject of Native American women have gone missing. My heart is so full of rage and sorrow for the families that have to endure the pain of not knowing about their loved ones. Yet, i admit I say I am outraged of this but have i done anything to change this problem? No, I have not done anything but want to. If someone can guide me on how to help I am all for it. I wish I could go and search in person to places like Ashley's family goes to. I am a well-trainned tracker and avid outdoorsman and would be willing to be part of a search team looking for these native women in an urban or outdoor setting. Doing nothing is heartwrenching and makes me less of a Native American man and us men are supposed to protect our women we are the warriors of whatever tribe you come from or race of humanity you are. I am far from a perfect person I can say, I have done things I can not take back but I have no regrets about my life. Yet it does not mean I don't have a heart or want to help people or be a part of a solution in this issue.

my heart breaks for this family...

This must be so heavy to feel and go through. I'm sorry for your loss and I hope you find her so you can rest that heavy pain of yours.

I'm so sorry you are going through this I lost my only sister when she was 19 my prayers goes out you and you family

Before I was born. One of my relatives went missing & my family went to medicine man for guidance. They ask for Crystal Glazer blessings. We found where he was. The people that were involved with his murder got caught.

This happened in my county, Cherokee Oklahoma and the sister of the boy that was missing had friends with horses helping with the search. The local law enforcement did very little. The sisters friends with horses did find the missing teenager by the river in almost plain view. 8 days after going missing. They still haven't released cause of death, this was in 2017 I believe.

The 55 year old man seen her last he fell asleep and she was gone no he will tell the truth before he dies

1 of 5000 Native American women missing in 2017!? I can't even comprehend how so many women are missing and nobody even knows about it. This is horrible. 💔 I pray for you and your people and that your sister will be found, and that whoever is doing these crimes will be caught. 🙏

Awww man my heart 🥺 I’m praying that they find her!!! We need an update.

So very sorry for this sister and family. I can't imagine knowing your sister has just disappeared. Wondering every moment of every waking hour where she is.

Her sister said, "It's a nightmare that, she can't wake up from!"

I started balling my eyes out in the first couple of minutes I’m so sorry you’re going through this it breaks my heart

Within the first few minutes of the video I started bawling my eyes out. That story of her dream of Ashley. The videos of Ashley. Everything. This is painful. This is torture. I wish all evil people in the world would just vanish and leave the rest of us alone to live and breathe. I wish.

My Heart breaks for these people 🙏

My heart goes out to the family! We are more important than this! All Lives Matter! IndigenousWomenMatter!!!! What must we do? This has to stop.

My story is from 1983. My Native sister was in a psychiatric bldg on suicide watch. On 12/24/83 she was found hanging from a belt in a 4ft wardrobe. Whilst in hospital her mother wanted to pull the plug(apologize for crudeness). Her father however wantex to keep waiting. They argued over her 'brain dead body'! Her mother won! Her mother said over her 'brain dead body' "I CAN'T SUE UNLESS SHE'S DEAD". Mother got $40k because courts said she was not a contributer to society! No job! No school! No children! No career! No mortgage! So therefore her death was only worth 40k. Her mother accepted! Her father who left her mother with 9 indigenous kids got half! Indigenous ppl have to realize that there is more to being Indigenous that blood quantum.

well, they got people who wont talk. Me em talk.

It breaks my heart 💕🙏

Prayers to Ashley's family please bring Justice and her home in one way or another

This is heartbreaking I pray you find Ashley my thoughts are with you always

Omg, I can't believe how negative n hateful ppl can be, where's ur compassion, ur heart!! It's just sad how many Indigenous ppl who're being murdered n abducted that's being ignored n overlooked, we're ppl with hearts n souls too. It seems that bc of this, that so many are targeted bc there's no care in this world. My heart, prayers n blessings go out to all who're being affected in this way. There've been murders in my family that weren't investigated at all, there needs to be a change. Those of u who make judgments have no right to do so!

Natives should never be treated like this there stunning beautiful people

I miss Ashley she's my cousin

Tribal police can’t do much... I pray they find this poor girl 😢🙏🏻

If my sister went missing... I would keep looking till the day I die. ❤️ such a sad story ❤️ prayers your way

So sorry for the tragedy that has fallen Ashley and her family. I hope they find the truth of what happened to her.

This hurts 😩💔

Great spirit please help to find ASHLEY please help keep her family safe please help Great spirit 🙏

It's really a sad story the native Americans have so much power and wisdoms of unknown knowledge that they are so more powerful than they could ever imagine there men need to shape up and protect their daughters and women it's such a sad story

I hope this family gets justice 🙏🏽

I can't feel anything but anger, anguish and a lot of helpless. It could happen to anyone in any place, any city, any country. But in a remote area like that police can't be at all places at all times. If I treat this as an​ engineering problem of tracking something (in this case people) over a large area, existing radio transmitter devices can do a very good job. People could carry them on their person when going out, press panic button like avalanche rescue beacon, help could reach them quickly. I know how this idea sounds, it is only a temporary measure till other bigger societal problems are dealt with. I'm sure these small device will go long way saving somebody's life and definitely heartache for the families in the worst case.

This story broke my heart

Prayers for Ashley and her family..........sending Sage winds your way.

So sorry

So sad

Heartwrenching...period.

I am sorry I hope she will come back soon.

Prayers for you and your family. Can I help?

If you want to follow this story Up and Vanished podcast will be doing a series on September 1, 2021.

Blessings to all family and friends 🙏🏽🙏🏻😪💞💜💕💞

At 6:40 he was so right. It does come down to race even though you can hear the interviewer kinda questioning that but it is true. All you see is white people in the news. I am a latina in chicago and never once have I heard about native american women going missing in the news let alone african americans or latinos. It is very rare. All over facebook i see african americans and latinos among others posting their family members or friends missing over and over because the news won't cover it but a little white girl goes missing an there is helicopters and squad cars and live footage and over a thousand people searching for her in the woods.We need to cover EVERYBODY I don't understand why there isn't a full on news channel just dedicated to missing people. Over 600,000 people go missing in the U.S alone and yet we only here a couple people missing every couple of months. THIS IS SAD!

I hope she's found for the families peace !

Go to your local Medicin women or man, the truth will come out, an she will be found.

devastating.

Don't ever think the wicked evil government will ever care about any of these people they never have and never will .

I hope you guys find her

This is SO horrible, NEVER heard about before!!!!

Is there any updates on Ashley?

weird this shows up in my recommended today. my mamma had Blackfoot heritage and last night I had a freakishly realistic dream of being kidnapped out west somewhere, then being hauled in a truck with 3 or 4 other girls several hours away to some big city in the mountains, being sold/sex trafficking. It felt scary as hell. I hope she is found alive soon :(

That’s is so true

Sorry she is lost. Hope you find her.

I don't think the lack of resources are due only to racism. I think it's also due to poverty. In missing persons cases that are high-profile, the victims are typically not only white but also either wealthy or middle-class.

🕊

If the Devil enters your realm the people, animals, land, traditions suffer.

That yell for Ashley hurt 😢

Note the absence of indigenous men interviewed on what they're going to do about this problem.

It was one thing to think about our beloved cabin going down but the thought of dealing with game playing Insurance companies was something that further tormenting

My sisters name is ashley and it shattered my heart when they were calling her name :,(

Can someone give me the name of the podcast? I was listening to it and for some reason I can’t find it anymore.

The officer HAS to dip while on t.v.?

I'm so sorry for your loss..... And I do care ! Breaks my heart !

Please All HOLY GHOST filled Saints let’s PRAY that this girl and others will be found.

respect

I'm so sorry you're missing your sister your friend your loved one! I pray someday you get some answers. Something really evil seems to be lurking around North America!! And hardly any justice or answers. It's wrong..

Native Americans are beautiful people, you can still rise again. Your soul was wounded but it is not dead. I believe in you.

Couldn’t this cop not have dip in while being interviewed 🤦🏽‍♀️.

There is a huge! need for more police on the Res if they don't get help this is going to continue!

Raise (OUR) Indigenous children on more than drugs and alcohol. Don't blame the (Authorities) because we show that we care less...until tragedy strikes!

💔

Right now, the new news you reported, people shamelessly are more intersted in saying this channel is mainstream media and didn't reported anything, even though it was 2 years ago.

Such a sad story 💔 I hope she finds her sister very soon

Bolivia is one of the few places where a high percentage of pure blooded Amerindians exist

These stories are very disturbing, and very upsetting, This is absolutely terrible and Very difficult to watch Such terrible situations Beating up a Woman doesn't make a man tough... Beating up a Woman doesn't make a man strong... Beating up a Woman doesn't make a man cool... Beating up a Woman doesn't make a man a man.... I believe in the Safety and Well-being Women, Children, and Men WOMEN Have the RIGHT to FEEL SAFE and BE SAFE This is a reply post regarding a article on Assault Against Woman: For what is statistically true, or accurate, and even what is not included statistically, and all other crime such as this is what is ( violence against women) Always unacceptable... Women have the Right to Feel SAFE and be Safe... No woman..., or person....child...should ever have to experience this kind heinous personal intrusion in their lifetime, this seems to be occurring at least according to news reports more, and all to often. Actually this activity should be in a stage, or state of Reversal, and NOT Increasing, I am continually upset as well as greatly disturbed in hearing such stories, as I have always have been... My Heart Always... goes out to any person which have experienced any such similar experience of intrusion, attacks, and, or invasion of their personal well-being... due violence, and or violent behavior, I will continue Praying for the Safety and Well-Being of Others... Keep everyone SAFE PLEASE BE SAFE Your Life is important Advocate of Humanity, Author, Writer, Poet, Safety Advocate Jason Sandifer, Michigan MESSAGE REPOSTED 10/12/2021

He says he doesn't trust anyone, and rightfully so. He may or may not know this, but he never could trust anyone. In the end ...people do what's best for themselves...even family. The only world where he can trust people 100% of the time, and can let his guard down, is the world he has constructed in his head of a world he only wishes existed, until it inevitably turns on him a bites him in the back without fail. This is not just him...Everyone gets caught up in this trap until that day we finally accept the world for what it really is instead of the construct we've built for the world in our minds. Loyalty doesn't exist in the world the way our minds have built it up to be. Insisting on living in a dreamworld that doesn't exist has been the ruin of many.

People dont realize how small these reservations are. When the dad spoke and said I see these people (who are rumored to be involved) but he doesn't know what really happened and he sees these people weekly

Well give us the scenario

my sisters 😭

What a great sister. Perhaps if she put Sam's feet to the fire she would get some answers.

Everyone knows what happened to her there ain’t no REAL law enforcement to help Government officials want this type of stuff to happen not to mention another guy went missing same people this Ashley was around you tell me that ain’t foul play

Yes, "planted the seed for all of these problems" reservations. I lost my mom for many years but by a miracle we got her back. Not 100% but she is present enough to feel her love. Thank you creator for giving me a chance with my mom.

Up and vanished lead me here 💔

I feel that the Blackfeet community need to rebuild their bond with each other… it seems through the video that they are very weary of each other and is full of suspicions, hate and dislikes

Dont ask why just ask HOW....hello...sorry for ur loss

Look up Kevin Annette! He has answers. It's sickening. These people should be removed from the earth!

Shame using chewing tobacco. That gives cancer too

I mean what was she doing? Where do you think she was taken from?

Love is beautiful

the poorest county in America ,the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, to the richest area in the country, the Navajo Indian reservation. There is no difference. I have paraphrased the former Secretary of the Department of the Interior, James Watt: If you want to see an example of failed socialism, go to an Indian reservation . [ Jan 30, 1989, R. Means.]