In episode 8, host Regina Q. Banks speaks to Vance Blackfox (Director of Indigenous Ministries and Tribal Relations for the ELCA), Justice Nichols (Program Coordinator for Indigenous Ministries and Tribal Relations for the ELCA), and Brenda Blackhawk (Director of Communications at Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis).

This conversation delves into the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) and the broader context of Indigenous Ministries within the ELCA. MMIW Awareness Day was just observed on May 5th. The speakers discuss the historical roots of MMIW, the intersection with climate justice, the role of media in representing Indigenous issues, and the church's responsibility in advocacy and healing.

Learn more about many aspects of the ELCA's Indigenous Ministries and Tribal Relations at elca.org/indigenous. Learn about the Truth & Healing Movement at elca.org/truthandhealing

Here I Pod is a production of ELCA Advocacy.

Host: Regina Q. Banks
Production: Blake Chastain, Joey Chin, Karen Krueger
Intro/Outro Music: "A Mighty Fortress is Our God" arranged in jazz-style, by Steven Seigart

About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of “God’s work. Our hands.,” the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA’s roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.