Found Deceased MT - Selina (Selena) Not Afraid, 16, I-90 rest area between Billings & Hardin, 1 Jan 2020

[PommyMommy]

Michael Kordenbrock on Twitter
Covering the funeral of Selena Not Afraid today for the Billings Gazette. Gym at Hardin High School is continuing to fill up, with many wearing red for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls movement. Funeral is scheduled to begin at 11.
10:54 AM - 26 Jan 2020

KULR-8 News on Twitter
Dressed in red, crowds are filing into Hardin high school to pay their respects for Selena Not Afraid. Out of consideration to the family and those impacted, cameras have been asked to remain outside of the gym where the funeral is held.

11:16 AM - 26 Jan 2020

 

[PommyMommy]

Michael Kordenbrock on Twitter
Hundreds of people have gathered at the Fairview Cemetery in Hardin, Montana for Selena Not Afraid’s burial.

1:19 PM - 26 Jan 2020

Larry Mayer on Twitter
A horse drawn wagon carries Selena Not Afraid to her final resting place in Hardin on Sunday.

4:19 PM - 26 Jan 2020

Thom Bridge on Twitter (Video)
Tonight nearly 80 gathered in Helena to honor the life of Selena Not Afraid.
#mtnews #MMIW
8:09 PM - 26 Jan 2020 from Helena, MT

 

[PommyMommy]

JAN 26, 2020
Photos: Selena Not Afraid funeral in Hardin


A horse drawn wagon carries the casket during the funeral for Selena Not Afraid in Hardin on Sunday.


Selena Not Afraid's casket is taken from the horse drawn carriage during her funeral at the Fairview Cemetery in Hardin on Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020.


Flowers rest on top of Selena Not Afraid's casket during her funeral at the Fairview Cemetery in Hardin on Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020.


Many mourners gather at the Fairview Cemetery for the funeral of Selena Not Afraid in Hardin on Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020.


Riders depart Hardin High School following the casket of Selena Not Afraid to the Fairview Cemetery in Hardin on Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020.

(More at the link)

 

[PommyMommy]

JAN 26, 2020
More than 1,000 people attend Selena Not Afraid's funeral in Hardin
[...]

Selena was a student at Hardin High School. She loved horses, and had hoped to be an Indian relay rider. Her favorite horse had been named Wart. Horseback riders made up of men, women, boys and girls accompanied the horse-drawn wagon that brought her casket from the school up Vanzandt Road, a distance of almost 2 miles.

[...]

Her grandfather Channis Whiteman started his eulogy bemoaning the difficulties of being short as he stood at the podium, drawing laughter. Whiteman continued in a humorous tone, describing his family connections to those in attendance. Then he started talking about Selena.

"Selena was only 16 years old. Life had just started," he said. There was a long pause and the gym was quiet. "Full of life," he continued, his voice breaking.

[...]

Toward the end of his eulogy, Whiteman pointed out how far Selena's story had spread, and just how important it was.

"Now we've got to stand up and find these people that are missing. And find them alive," he said, and the gym broke out into applause.

[...]

Crow Tribe CEO Karl Little Owl spoke on behalf of the Tribe and Tribal Chairman A.J. Not Afraid. Not Afraid, a relative of Selena's, sat in the front row.

"One thing I remember about her is her smile," Little Owl said. "Her smile was radiant from miles away. I think as you remember her and remember her life, remember that smile and the lives she has touched."

[...]

At Selena's burial, Pastor Daniel Knows His Gun urged people to come together.

'Celebrate her life by holding each other," he said."Don't forget this unity.

[...]

There was even a moment where Selena's own words were read aloud by 10 of her peers. Alongside programs being handed out at the funeral were printed copies of a list of 10 things about herself that Selena had written. Each classmate of Selena's read one item from the list. The list was undated, but referenced events as recently as 2018.

The list is as follows:

[...]

2. I'm the youngest of five siblings, I love my family deeply. Can't wait till we all reunite!

[...]

4. I love to bead, and sew because my whole family does it. I feel like it's part of me. I love drowning in my creativity.

[...]

7. I love to travel to different horse races w/grandma.

8. I do enjoy reading really anything.

9. I have one sibling left, I plan on going to college close to where he lives.

[...]

Rest peacefully, Selena.

 

[PommyMommy]

JAN 26, 2020
Selena Not Afraid laid to rest in Hardin Sunday
[...]

“I can never explain to somebody, unless they’ve been there, how it feels when you get your daughter back. When you finally get them back, it’s like so much relief that you don’t have room for the pain and anger. I don’t have that room," Horn said.

At the service, a group of Not Afraid's classmates read from a "10 things you need to know about me" assignment she had done for school. The first on her list was a love for horses.

"I love horses, I love everything about them. Their eyes, the way they breathe, the way they move. I mostly enjoy riding, feeling free in the wind as i feel for feet beneath me," Not Afraid wrote in part.

[...]

Not Afraid's horse, Wart, was the first behind the casket. Wart made the trip without its rider.

[...]

What the family wants now: for missing people to be brought back home.

[...]

 

[janewall]

Rest easy in that grove of trees under that beautiful big blue Montana sky, Selena. You leave a legacy and a challenge for the living to work on. Your life mattered, as the lives of other Indigenous people also matter. All adults must do better to ensure that a network of safety exists that embraces everyone, no matter where we live or how we identify.

 

[AmandaReckonwith]

Thanks for all the links, PommyMommy.

I added about 50 pics tonight but a glitch is stopping me from labeling them, all from today, mostly cemetery.
Online, I saw some from inside the gym, but family asked for that not to be filmed so it did not go into the archive by me.

amanda reckonwith on Photobucket

 

[stattlich1]

Thank you PommyMommy.

 

[Dave F.]

I had not read anything before about her adopted parents until reading this.
I am not familiar, is that usual in the Native American culture to have adopted parents?

In the Crow tribe, yes. IMO

 

[imstilla.grandma]

 

[PommyMommy]

JAN 27, 2020
Hamilton community to hold vigil for Selena Not Afraid
[...]

The Hamilton community will hold a candlelight vigil on Monday on the Ravalli County Courthouse Lawn where they’ll remember not only Selena, but the countless Indigenous people that are still missing.

Selena’s aunt, Cheryl Horn, says these vigils have played a major role in guiding the family through this difficult time, and she thanks the community for their support.

[...]

The community is encouraged to wear red and bring their own candles to the vigil which will begin at 7 p.m. on Monday.

 

[AmandaReckonwith]

Selena will have a legacy indeed.

 

[mickey2942]

Selena will have a legacy indeed.

Sorry, doubt it. Life will go back as usual, without actually having a searching moment, as to why this tragedy happened, and how to stop this situation from occurring again.

Until this happens, the drum banging, tears, hugs...will just be part of an ongoing activity.

I have not heard an actual analysis of why this happened, and what the tribe plans to do, to ameliorate this problem.

Does Selena Not Afraid belong in the same category as "missing Native American Women"? She isn't "missing". LEO knows who left her at the side of the road.

 

[evilwise]

This is another one of those cases where cultural differences serve as an obstacle to understanding. Kind of like Nora Quoirin except I'm more familiar with native American culture. Everyone is asking why those girls were left at the rest stop. There's a much higher expectation of individual strength. They're also never going to be satisfied with law enforcement's findings and they don't want help from internet communities like this one either.

I've been a drunk 16 year old and decided to take an arduous walk plenty of times. Fortunately I never fell into water or attempted to cross arid plains but if I did, I might have taken off a ring before I died and my bodily fluids very likely would have evaporated in the first week.

I would be interested enough to read the complete death report though.

 

[Jazzy5980]

DBM

 

[Jazzy5980]

Sorry, doubt it. Life will go back as usual, without actually having a searching moment, as to why this tragedy happened, and how to stop this situation from occurring again.

Until this happens, the drum banging, tears, hugs...will just be part of an ongoing activity.

I have not heard an actual analysis of why this happened, and what the tribe plans to do, to ameliorate this problem.

Does Selena Not Afraid belong in the same category as "missing Native American Women"? She isn't "missing". LEO knows who left her at the side of the road.

I respectfully disagree that nothing positive will get done following Selena’s tragic death. As a result, people are already working on legislation to protect missing persons. People and groups from across the country have coalesced and are determined that something positive will come out of this horrible tragedy. Large numbers calling congressional delegation, attorney general and governor, re. questions surrounding Selena’s death and the jurisdictional problems that arose and negatively impact all MMIW & men. People are finally getting it through their heads that Montana is at the epicenter of this crisis.

 

[evilwise]

I respectfully disagree that nothing positive will get done following Selena’s tragic death. As a result, people are already working on legislation to protect missing persons. People and groups from across the country have coalesced and are determined that something positive will come out of this horrible tragedy. Large numbers calling congressional delegation, attorney general and governor, re. questions surrounding Selena’s death and the jurisdictional problems that arose and negatively impact all MMIW & men. People are finally getting it through their heads that Montana is at the epicenter of this crisis.

Those people are going to have their work cut out for them trying to create legislation to protect missing women. In my opinion, that effort would probably be better spent keeping them from going missing in the first place.

The local and state government literally cannot police tribal land in states where the tribal councils have not accepted public law 280 and Montana is one of those states.

Not that I think any crime was committed in this case other than possibly child abandonment which is exactly the kind of thing tribes DON'T want the local law enforcement investigating.

 

[Jazzy5980]

Those people are going to have their work cut out for them trying to create legislation to protect missing women. In my opinion, that effort would probably be better spent keeping them from going missing in the first place.

The local and state government literally cannot police tribal land in states where the tribal councils have not accepted public law 280 and Montana is one of those states.

Not that I think any crime was committed in this case other than possibly child abandonment which is exactly the kind of thing tribes DON'T want the local law enforcement investigating.

Those people are going to have their work cut out for them trying to create legislation to protect missing women. In my opinion, that effort would probably be better spent keeping them from going missing in the first place.

The local and state government literally cannot police tribal land in states where the tribal councils have not accepted public law 280 and Montana is one of those states.

Not that I think any crime was committed in this case other than possibly child abandonment which is exactly the kind of thing tribes DON'T want the local law enforcement investigating.

No one is suggesting that state/county law enforcement start policing tribal lands where PL 280 is not in effect. Goes without saying that would be an exercise in futility. Obviously there is not one answer to this very complex issue. Everything from issues surrounding BIA law enforcement and FBI involvement, timing of state intervention in cases where counties lack resources, etc.
We will have to agree to disagree whether a crime was committed in Selena’s case. However, her family undoubtedly has one hell of negligence case against the driver and other adult occupants of the vehicle if they decide to proceed. Old lawyer here.

 

[Dave F.]

Those people are going to have their work cut out for them trying to create legislation to protect missing women. In my opinion, that effort would probably be better spent keeping them from going missing in the first place.

The local and state government literally cannot police tribal land in states where the tribal councils have not accepted public law 280 and Montana is one of those states.

Not that I think any crime was committed in this case other than possibly child abandonment which is exactly the kind of thing tribes DON'T want the local law enforcement investigating.

It didn't happen on tribal land though, and the Crow Tribe was one of the first, in the 1950's to exercise it's rights under Public Law 280. The resulting continual interface of overlapping jurisdictions is the primary reason why news reports couldn't seem to identify which governing body was in charge. That confusing interface has also been identified by the Big Horn County Task Force on Missing and Indigenous Women as an area that needs to have it's own specific protocol adapted to the goal of rapid recovery. IMO

 

[Jazzy5980]

It didn't happen on tribal land though, and the Crow Tribe was one of the first, in the 1950's to exercise it's rights under Public Law 280. The resulting continual interface of overlapping jurisdictions is the primary reason why news reports couldn't seem to identify which governing body was in charge. That confusing interface has also been identified by the Big Horn County Task Force on Missing and Indigenous Women as an area that needs to have it's own specific protocol adapted to the goal of rapid recovery. IMO

I believe SKT is the only tribe(s) that currently operate under P.L. 280 agreement with the state. This has been the case for nearly 20 years. Lake County wants to end the arrangement because of cost.