A quiet march in the sunshine earlier this month culminated in a step forward for tribal member safety and accountability, as WCA approved a resolution aimed at addressing the national crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples.

On May 5, community members gathered at Shakes Island and Totem Park to make signs, share stories and drum in honor of missing and murdered Indigenous relatives. The march concluded at the WCA carving shed, where the tribal council officially adopted a resolution authorizing the WCA to maintain records of lost tribal members, establish an annual awareness march every May 5, and provide tribal oversight through informal case reviews to catch systemic gaps before they lead to tragedy.

For Noami Fowler, WCA domestic violence prevention manager, the resolution represents both a promise to the past and a concrete roadmap for the future.

“It’s an important issue for people to be aware of and to feel safe,” she said. “Part of the resolution is to reach the community and make it possible to have a march by WCA every year on May 5. It shows the commitment to protecting tribal members and preserving tribal rights.”

Fowler said she felt a wave of relief and optimism when the marchers arrived at the carving shed and the council approved the resolution. But the real work, she emphasized, is just beginning. The future strategy hinges on a prevention framework that connects various safety nets.

“We’re a prevention team, which means helping the support systems in Wrangell — police, medical professionals, victim services — coordinate to help prevent things from falling through the cracks when things go wrong,” Fowler explained.

“We support families through information and referrals, and we’re now authorized by WCA to evaluate casework to identify where processes can improve.”

A primary goal of the new initiative is ensuring that tribal members are connected to vital resources quickly. WCA plans to host training and coordination sessions so that citizens, institutions and emergency responders can learn bystander intervention and prevention best practices.

Alaska Native and American Indian women and girls experience disproportionately higher rates of violence and are murdered at rates 10 times the national average, according to federal data. This was the 10th year for the national awareness day.

Fowler said certain types of violence, particularly within domestic situations, often serve as precursor acts that can escalate into homicide if left unchecked. By expanding education and conducting informal case reviews, the tribe hopes to stem the tide of violence against Indigenous people.

“We want to make sure details don’t get lost in the shuffle,” she said. “The plan is to also maintain a memorial record to keep our own lists, and that way we make sure the names will be remembered and the names will be said.”

Reflecting on her own upbringing, Fowler acknowledged a fundamental shift in society, noting that social pressures and modern distractions have changed how people interact and look out for one another.

“I felt so much more protected as a young girl. Things were different then,” she said. “There are different social pressures now than there were then. But I think there are some things lacking in our modern era that we had more of in the past.”

She pointed out that today’s digital distractions often erode public awareness, making people less likely to intervene when a neighbor is in distress.

“I feel that in our modern day of people walking around with their heads down looking at their cell phone, they’re more inclined to just walk on by,” Fowler said. “I think human nature is the toughest battle to fight, but it can also be the most rewarding.”

To counteract this isolation, future WCA efforts will focus on group activities designed to rebuild cultural ties, bring neighbors together and normalize speaking up.

“I truly believe in prevention,” she said. “It means being connected to the culture and having a sense of pride and purpose. It’s so important that we rebuild our culture.”