KALISPELL — The Missing and Murdered Indigenous People's (MMIP) crisis has not always gotten the attention it deserves.
The Montana Missing Indigenous Persons Task Force reports Indigenous people make up 6% to 6.5% of Montana's population, yet account for 30.6% of missing persons cases. Additionally, of the 2,263 reported missing in Montana last year, 693 were Indigenous.
The MMIP Task Force notes those numbers remain consistent across previous years of study.
One Indigenous artist from Montana is putting the crisis in the spotlight through her work.
“It's such a problem in Indian country, and if your loved one just disappears for no reason and you can't find them, I think that demands our attention,” said artist Valentina LaPier.
LaPier — who was born in Browning and now lives in East Glacier — sold her first piece at 14 years old and has been a full-time artist since 1987.
“I drew since I was a little girl, and I always knew that's what I wanted to do," said LaPier.
LaPier — who's part of the Blackfeet and Cree tribes — uses her art to promote awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous People.
“What I like is the beauty that I've put into the work. It has a bigger meaning, so, the MMIP kind of shines through beyond the beauty,” said LaPier.
You can see Indigenous inspiration in her designs, especially in the red dress theme that honors the memories of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW).
The red dress has become a symbol for the crisis and her work shows it's more than just a beautiful piece of art.
“To please the viewer, to cause some consciousness about what the medium or what I've done with the subject,” said LaPier.
LaPier’s has numerous paintings and mixed medium pieces on display — all produced between 2023 and 2024 — at the Northwest Montana History Museum in Kalispell.
One of the biggest pieces in the show is her painting “Yellow Parfleche.”
“Well, it's really an honor I suppose, but it's also a very personal, private thing. So yeah, I think that native people seeing Native artists hanging and being successful is really important,” LaPier told MTN.
LaPier’s will remain on display at the Northwest Montana History Museum through the end of the year.
