Ryan’s Run: Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women awareness

Hello there, my name is Ryan Vasquez of the Colville and Yakama Nations & I run ultra marathon distances to help raise awareness for missing and murdered indigenous women, or #MMIW.

For those that may not be aware, there is a proclivity for Native American / First Nation women to be abducted, go missing, or be un-alived with little or no interest in prosecution due to a variety of several factors, not least of which is muddled legal jurisdiction between city, state, federal, and tribal law.

I run from the border of my home reservation, The Yakama Nation (Washington state), to neighboring reservations. So far, I have run from the Yakama Reservation to the Warm Springs Reservation, the Muckleshoot Reservation, the Nez Perce Reservation, and the Umatilla Reservation. The distance I run to each reservation varies, with the shortest run being around 93 miles and the longest around 180. I allot myself days to complete each run, normally running during all sunlit hours, but at times running at night if I need to make up ground in meeting a distance goal.

I’ve been featured on multiple local news stations, newspapers, and have given lectures at local colleges with hopes of reaching as many eyes and ears as possible. I hope to do my part as a messenger for this incredibly important cause, honing the largest bullhorn possible.

My latest run will be to the Grand Ronde Reservation on January 24th. It will be a distance of 191 miles. I plan to gather other runners looking to join in honoring and raising awareness for this cause along parts of the run. There is an MMIW conference being held at Spirit Mountain Casino that I will be attending.

I am asking for financial help as I have left my job at AT&T after the 2nd run to the Muckleshoot Reservation to focus on my diet & training. I received an overwhelming amount of support & well wishes. So many have asked me to “keep running,” “You’re running for my mother.” Perfect strangers will stop me while out in public and thank me, hug me, offer to buy my groceries, profusely thanking me for raising awareness. I hear a cry for help and would love to continue this pursuit. I have been humbled to say the least, but with each run, I fall further and further behind financially.

With this support, I’d like to get a few things for the runs.

I wear marathon sneakers that are not cheap. I’ll buy multiple pairs.

A drone to help document the process.

A GoPro to help document the process.

But mostly it will go toward food, gas, and lodging for the runs.

If the support is there, I envision a grand finale of running from Washington state to Times Square in New York City. With dozens, if not hundreds, of sisters in full regalia and a red hand painted over our mouths to signify our unity in support of MMIW. Drum groups singing. Together we drop a huge banner over Times Square and put the world on notice. We protect our families. NO MORE STOLEN SISTERS.