Community Rally for Elder's Vehicle Fund

Hello! My name is Rachel Merritt Jones, and my friends and I are creating this fund on behalf of a dear friend of ours. (We are withholding her name for anonymity.) We are recirculating this fundraiser to include information previously withheld for safety reasons. In June of 2024, Indigenous members registered with the Skaroreh Katenuaka Nation gathered to hold a peaceful prayer on the site of a 3,000-year-old Indigenous burial ground that was set to have a housing development built over it. The unarmed group was faced with verbal and physical assaults from residents of the nearby neighborhood, with those residents attacking elders, women and children. A teenage girl was punched in the face, our elder friend put in a chokehold and body slammed to the ground, causing injuries to her back and ribs. One of the attacking residents was an off-duty police officer; another pulled a gun. In the days following, suffering from the stress of the event, our friend was in an accident which totaled her truck. While charges against some of the aggressors have been brought, our friend is still facing financial struggles as a result of her industries and the loss of her vehicle. As an Indigenous elder, she consistently dedicates herself to preserving the culture of her people and fighting injustice in all its forms. We are gathering our community to help her purchase a new vehicle so she can continue to get to work and engage with helping her community. Help us support our lovely friend, who always gives so much of herself to protect others. This kind of aggression cannot and will not stand. If you cannot donate, please share as far and wide as you can. Funds will be put towards the truck, necessary medical expenses and helping her regain stability. Thank you so much!