In the early hours of March 31, Mika Westwolf, a 22-year-old Indigenous woman, was fatally struck by a Cadillac Escalade while walking on the shoulder of U.S.
I am struck by the fact that it is illegal to walk on a Montana highway if you are inebriated. Is it legal to walk on the highway if you're sober? If so, don't we want to encourage drunk people to walk rather than to drive?? Inebriated people shouldn't walk where walking is unsafe for anyone, but otherwise the law just seems like harassment.
It is very interesting that there should be such a law, especially in the vicinity of Reservation lands. It reminds me of that famous quote, , “ “The law, in its majestic equality, forbids rich and poor alike to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal their bread.” ― Anatole France .”
Seems like harrassment when the enebriated walker is held to blame for the loss of their own life while the enebriated driver who killed them not only has lost nothing, but gets a pass from local "law enforcement."
Harassment? Or perhaps simply a prejudicial bias against Native Americans. I will never understand the bias that appears to be the case for many westerners against Native Americans, because they certainly have a lot of slurs & nasty slang terms to call them. Their ancestors took the land from their ancestral Native Americans. Treaties were repeatedly broken by the government, where lands were stripped away ( probably more favorable grazing lands) in favor of white Americans. When anything of worth is continually stripped away, it breaks the spirit & destroys hope for a better life. Imagine if a foreign government managed to overtake America, sent their troops & then their people as settlers here, essentially to drive you out of your house, so they could inhabit it as their home.
All of that can be termed harrassment in my opinion Bonnie. As in harrassing the enemy.
What makes that so poignant is that our Native American population is treated just like an enemy in their own country, where they lived before there was an "America."
Harassment is not intended to gain position. It's primary purpose is to keep the enemy on its toes, unable to relax and always worrying about where the next attack will come.
I also find it interesting that the driver that plowed a woman over with her SUV hours before dawn, still doesn't seem to have an available toxicology report, nor do any of the police assume she was drinking. Is that a normal driving maneuver in that state for sober drivers? Do car control classes there advise that one barrel along at 1AM straddling the white line close enough to hit pedestrians? Interesting.
It is really a strange law. So if you recognize you have had too much to drive safely, you can be charged with walking home instead? There don't seem to be many side roads in the vicinity of where she was killed. What are the alternatives? How prevalent is Uber or any taxi service around there? Sleep under the bar? I'm not saying she was intoxicated--that doesn't seem to be established. But even if she were????
Do white people get charged with walking along a highway (this doesn't appear to be a freeway) while intoxicated?
This is such a tragic story--a 22-year old woman, with her whole life ahead of her, is dead, and seemingly, no one in a position of authority cares in the least. My heart goes out to her family.
I have been alarmed by this since I grew up in Nebraska where I first became aware of the epidemic. The hate, disrespect & disregard for the seriousness of crises such as these is too common & far too accepted as normal by the vast majority of the population. We can point to the media & the apathy of law enforcement but the truth of the matter is that until enough of We the People of the US raise our voices, nothing will change. Thank you Judd for raising awareness of this issue.
This reminds me of the show “Alaska Daily” which brought the story of unsolved indigenous murders to many viewers. Tenacious reporting shines a light that can lead to further investigations, accountability, and justice. Please stay on this story, Judd. I’d like to see Mika’s family find peace in knowing her life’s final chapter has not yet been written.
Ironically, I’ll be on a 3 week motorcycle trip from Minnesota and will be on our way to Glacier at the same time as the Walk for Mika on June 16th. My riding buddy (who was my pilot in Vietnam 50 years ago) and I will make a detour to the Flathead Reservation to show our support for her family. I followed the link to MikaMatters and found a list of the Walks. We will participate in the Walk from the Polson Safeway on June 16th.
What a disturbing story. That the investigation is being so carelessly conducted demonstrates why BIPOC community has such suspicion of the police. We often use the term "law enforcement" interchangeably with "police." In the case of Ms. Westwolf's death, it seems that the police may not at all be engaged in "law enforcement." May Ms. Westwolf's family at least receive justice. It may ease the dreadful pain of her loss a bit.
Since forever... white man has destroyed everything indigenous that they can. Just research how RECENTLY children were still being taken from indigenous and relocated.
I think this is a phenomena in the West. The eastern tribes haven’t been subjected to violence like this during my lifetime. . .or within my parents’ or grandparents’ memories.
I didn't either. I don't understand the why of it all. I don't understand why anyone treats anyone differently than themselves. Sure, I heard racist talk from my own grandparents, and I never understood them. I thought it their generation. People are people, no matter what color, race, where they hail from, disability, whatever I'm missing, I don't care. Only thing that bothers me is rude, indifferent, head stuck in the sand people. They're still people though. It's really hard for me to understand the hate.
Judd, my heart breaks for this woman, Mika Westwolf (such a cool name), her family and community. Also I am concerned for your staff and you. I'm sure investigating and reporting on all of these critical yet somehow negative events takes a toll on you guys too.
Not as odd as a cop saying "I can't/shouldn't" take that as evidence to investigate her ties to hate groups
Why is it that a cop "shouldn't" investigate the Aryan Nation, a criminal organization? In a case where a racial motive is maybe not likely, but can't be ruled out?
The article is quick to downplay that as a sign that the parents are white supremacists; however, if it looks like a duck and talks like a duck, acts like a duck . . . It’s a f-king duck.
I am struck by the fact that it is illegal to walk on a Montana highway if you are inebriated. Is it legal to walk on the highway if you're sober? If so, don't we want to encourage drunk people to walk rather than to drive?? Inebriated people shouldn't walk where walking is unsafe for anyone, but otherwise the law just seems like harassment.
It is very interesting that there should be such a law, especially in the vicinity of Reservation lands. It reminds me of that famous quote, , “ “The law, in its majestic equality, forbids rich and poor alike to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal their bread.” ― Anatole France .”
Excellent! Will remember this quote.
just wrote it down so I can remember it and use it...
Seems like harrassment when the enebriated walker is held to blame for the loss of their own life while the enebriated driver who killed them not only has lost nothing, but gets a pass from local "law enforcement."
Harassment? Or perhaps simply a prejudicial bias against Native Americans. I will never understand the bias that appears to be the case for many westerners against Native Americans, because they certainly have a lot of slurs & nasty slang terms to call them. Their ancestors took the land from their ancestral Native Americans. Treaties were repeatedly broken by the government, where lands were stripped away ( probably more favorable grazing lands) in favor of white Americans. When anything of worth is continually stripped away, it breaks the spirit & destroys hope for a better life. Imagine if a foreign government managed to overtake America, sent their troops & then their people as settlers here, essentially to drive you out of your house, so they could inhabit it as their home.
Interesting that a large part (the Maga base?) of our culture "hates" those to whom we owe recompense as a result of our tyrannical abuse.
All of that can be termed harrassment in my opinion Bonnie. As in harrassing the enemy.
What makes that so poignant is that our Native American population is treated just like an enemy in their own country, where they lived before there was an "America."
Harassment
ChangingMinds.org
http://changingminds.org › ... › Warfare › Tactics
Harassment is one of the tactics of warfare.
Harassment is not intended to gain position. It's primary purpose is to keep the enemy on its toes, unable to relax and always worrying about where the next attack will come.
Hey Bonnie. Do you know if PI is on vacation? There has been nothing since 20Jul23.
I also find it interesting that the driver that plowed a woman over with her SUV hours before dawn, still doesn't seem to have an available toxicology report, nor do any of the police assume she was drinking. Is that a normal driving maneuver in that state for sober drivers? Do car control classes there advise that one barrel along at 1AM straddling the white line close enough to hit pedestrians? Interesting.
I'm pretty sure public intoxication laws were never really written with safety in mind
It is really a strange law. So if you recognize you have had too much to drive safely, you can be charged with walking home instead? There don't seem to be many side roads in the vicinity of where she was killed. What are the alternatives? How prevalent is Uber or any taxi service around there? Sleep under the bar? I'm not saying she was intoxicated--that doesn't seem to be established. But even if she were????
Do white people get charged with walking along a highway (this doesn't appear to be a freeway) while intoxicated?
It sounds like if you walk on a highway while inebriated you’re fair game.
It SEEMS counterintuitive... what are they supposed to do?
This is such a tragic story--a 22-year old woman, with her whole life ahead of her, is dead, and seemingly, no one in a position of authority cares in the least. My heart goes out to her family.
I wish I could join them for their walk. This is such an injustice. Incredibly sad.
The federal government should take over. These guys sound deliberately incompetent.
I would describe it more as "willful indifference" but deliberate incompetence works, too.
Sorry, but I sense that it is out of intentional vengeance. And, let's hope that our "federal government" is clean enough to do the right thing.
I have ZERO faith the feds are any better.... judging from history
i'd rather not agree but as you say... "history."
Thank you for turning your attention to the issues besieging the Indigenous communities. They have been hidden for too long.
Hidden... and ignored
HIdden, suppressed & ignored?
I have been alarmed by this since I grew up in Nebraska where I first became aware of the epidemic. The hate, disrespect & disregard for the seriousness of crises such as these is too common & far too accepted as normal by the vast majority of the population. We can point to the media & the apathy of law enforcement but the truth of the matter is that until enough of We the People of the US raise our voices, nothing will change. Thank you Judd for raising awareness of this issue.
This reminds me of the show “Alaska Daily” which brought the story of unsolved indigenous murders to many viewers. Tenacious reporting shines a light that can lead to further investigations, accountability, and justice. Please stay on this story, Judd. I’d like to see Mika’s family find peace in knowing her life’s final chapter has not yet been written.
I thought of the Alaska Daily show as well which gave info among credits about MMIWUSA. Thanks for bringing this to light here.
Ironically, I’ll be on a 3 week motorcycle trip from Minnesota and will be on our way to Glacier at the same time as the Walk for Mika on June 16th. My riding buddy (who was my pilot in Vietnam 50 years ago) and I will make a detour to the Flathead Reservation to show our support for her family. I followed the link to MikaMatters and found a list of the Walks. We will participate in the Walk from the Polson Safeway on June 16th.
What a disturbing story. That the investigation is being so carelessly conducted demonstrates why BIPOC community has such suspicion of the police. We often use the term "law enforcement" interchangeably with "police." In the case of Ms. Westwolf's death, it seems that the police may not at all be engaged in "law enforcement." May Ms. Westwolf's family at least receive justice. It may ease the dreadful pain of her loss a bit.
I had no idea that this virulence of hatred for Native Americans existed. The FBI should be involved in this case.
There are a lot of virulently hateful people out there and seemingly feel as though they've been given license to reveal themselves.
You probably know the old saying Adam, " when someone shows you their a$$, believe them. "
They are indeed showing you who they are & many have the audacity to think it's acceptable to show their hatred & ignorance.
Since forever... white man has destroyed everything indigenous that they can. Just research how RECENTLY children were still being taken from indigenous and relocated.
I think this is a phenomena in the West. The eastern tribes haven’t been subjected to violence like this during my lifetime. . .or within my parents’ or grandparents’ memories.
I’m reminded of the Canadian folk singer Buffy Sainte-Marie...
I didn't either. I don't understand the why of it all. I don't understand why anyone treats anyone differently than themselves. Sure, I heard racist talk from my own grandparents, and I never understood them. I thought it their generation. People are people, no matter what color, race, where they hail from, disability, whatever I'm missing, I don't care. Only thing that bothers me is rude, indifferent, head stuck in the sand people. They're still people though. It's really hard for me to understand the hate.
If anyone wants to help, Mika's family asked for people to reach out to the Montana Senators and demand the FBI get involved.
Senator Tester: (202) 224-2644 https://www.tester.senate.gov/contact/contact-form/
Senator Daines: (202) 224-2651 https://www.daines.senate.gov/services/email-steve/
I just wrote a long descriptive message to Jon Tester. Senator Daines site was not amenable--any advice, Mike?
Interesting. Not sure on a work around for his website. However, I also mailed a letter to both Senators so that could be an option.
Senator Daines
320 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510.
Thanks!
jfc that is incredible.... truly saddening.
Judd, my heart breaks for this woman, Mika Westwolf (such a cool name), her family and community. Also I am concerned for your staff and you. I'm sure investigating and reporting on all of these critical yet somehow negative events takes a toll on you guys too.
Yes, an upsetting story. I also think that naming your children Aryan and Nation is a bit odd......
Not as odd as a cop saying "I can't/shouldn't" take that as evidence to investigate her ties to hate groups
Why is it that a cop "shouldn't" investigate the Aryan Nation, a criminal organization? In a case where a racial motive is maybe not likely, but can't be ruled out?
Oh, she probably meant "Ariel" and "Nathan" but slurred her words.
Odd indeed, perhaps "signaling" other true believers.
The article is quick to downplay that as a sign that the parents are white supremacists; however, if it looks like a duck and talks like a duck, acts like a duck . . . It’s a f-king duck.
Mental illness is a thought. I’d be investigating that family for the children’s sake. But that’ll never happen.
If Kim Kardashian can name her kids stupidly, why not everyone? s/
Mika's Go Fund Me page: https://www.gofundme.com/f/mika-josephine-westeolf?utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_content=undefined&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_source=customer&utm_term=undefined
Thanks. Donated.
Please keep us informed Judd regarding this tragedy.
Thank you for writing about this situation.