- [VO] This reporting was supported by the International Women's Media Foundation's fund for Indigenous journalists, reporting on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, Two-Spirit, and Transgender people: MMIWG2T.

(soft inspirational music) ♪ - [Mykayla] Just like any other sport or tradition, or, like, powwows, we use our horse as our connection, and the dancers go out there and dance for the people that can't dance.

So, we're riding for the people that can't ride to bring awareness.

That is our platform; is being out on the arena on the back of a horse.

(horse neighing) (soft inspirational music) ♪ [traditional vocals/ inspirational music] (horse neighing) ♪ (horse neighing) - People need to understand, it's happening a lot more to Native American women.

And, that's what I am and I'm kind of scared for myself.

Like I could go missing, you know?

- [Jewel] To think that there's moms, daughters, sisters, wives out there that are missing and not knowing what has happened to them or having a closure?

I couldn't imagine going through something like that with my own family.

♪ So, in whatever way that we can put the awareness out there for MMIW, that's what we need to do.

♪ - [Male announcer 1] Ladies and gentlemen, the contestants of the 2022 INFR, brought to you by our INFR commissioner!

(crowd cheering/applauding) (bright uplifting music) ♪ ♪ ♪ - [Perse] INFR is in addition to being our own association and having our own event, our athletes are able to have a platform here.

And, it's something that we all share, especially issues like MMIW.

We all have family members.

We're different tribes, but same experiences.

So, we have the platform here, but then, they are part of those larger associations and are able to draw attention through those activities, also to the public.

Because dominant society isn't always aware of what's happening within our communities, and it's really important that this issue raise more visibility.

And, I think that's happening.

(uplifting music) ♪ Wednesday is a big day for us.

We just call it our MMIW day and we encourage everyone to wear red.

It's in our ground rules.

So, for contestants, it's highly recommended that you wear red.

It's really catching on!

I saw a lot of people in red, which made me really excited.

I saw a lot of us are wearing our ribbon skirts, too.

Because I think that goes along with wearing red, is also saying, like, we're Native women and we deserve to be seen, to be protected, to be safe.

- So, on Wednesday you have the chance to wear red.

And so, that means we're raising awareness for the MMIW and if you don't know what that means, it's for Missing, Murdered and Indigenous Women, and people.

- It's super heartbreaking.

For instance, there's somebody at home, and it's not directly related to a female.

He was a male and he went missing.

So, I see the MMIW as a "total peoples," not just the women.

It's really heartbreaking.

- [Male announcer 1] Final breakaway roper for 2022, for all the marbles, Bailey Bates, a six and 89.

It is time to respond now!

- [Male announcer 2] Bailey Bates.

She's out!

Bailey Bates.

- [Announcer 1] Bailey Bates!

- [Announcer 2] I mean, about 2:06 and just shut the door!

World champion, Bailey Bates!

(laughs) - I think that spreading the awareness of MMIW is something that's really important.

And, I'm grateful that the INFR is putting the spotlight on this.

And, it's so huge because our safety should be our number one concern and our priority, especially being Native woman.

Um-?

Yeah.

(chuckles) - [Shayla] Unfortunately, my family was one of those victims of MMIW.

So, my cousin, she went missing back in 2012 and we didn't find her until, like, a couple days later.

So, it kind of hit home for me.

I'm like, I wanna showcase people that, like, we need help in our community and we wanna have, like, me and my family wanna have a better outcome for another family, so they don't experience what we have to go through.

So, the biggest thing that I did is every rodeo that I went is I'd put a red handprint on the shoulder of my horse.

And so, being in a PRCA rodeo, you don't see horses with a red handprint!

So, that brought conversation to me, like, "Shayla, why do you have a red handprint on your horse?"

And so, then I'm like, "Because I believe in spreading awareness to what is happening in my community," and that's the MMIW movement.

- [Perse] Rodeo, just as a sport overall, is not a sport where I think the politics come in.

But, I think it's important.

I think as Native people we're more aware of how do we raise our voices?

How do we make sure that our issues are heard and acknowledged?

And, I think, we're seeing it, you know?

I think we see the people wearing red and not just the women.

And, I really wanna say for us as a community, the men support and understand.

And, I think that's really important.

- [Kirby] To me, the MMIW really means awareness to the females.

And, it's not just the females to males, as well.

When that person's missing, we think about them.

And so, for my awareness is to take care of each other, take care of one another, love one another, respect one another.

(gate clanging) That's the only way we can stand together as a nation.

If we could stay together, there will never be nobody missing.

♪ (light spirited music) (vocalizing/ spirited music) ♪ (vocalizing/ spirited music) ♪ (shakers shaking) (uplifting piano music) ♪ ♪ ♪ (uplifting piano music) ♪ ♪ (uplifting strings/ piano music) ♪ ♪ ♪ (music fades)