Native American jeweler uses designs to raise awareness of missing and murdered indigenous women

By JuYeon Kim

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    KANSAS CITY, Missouri (KSHB) — A jeweler in Kansas City is using her designs to tell the stories of indigenous people and their way of life.

Elizabeth Heule started her small business, Orenda, four years ago to bring awareness to missing and murdered indigenous people.

A 2016 study by the National Institute of Justice found that more than four in five American Indian and Alaska Native women (84.3 percent) have experienced violence in their lifetime.

“We honor them by remembering,” Heule said. “They want to just brush it past it—’Well, I wasn’t there; I didn’t participate in it,’ but you’re here now; you’re here now, and we can do something, you know, now.”

According to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Native American rates of murder, rape and other violent crimes are higher than national averages as well.

There is so much beauty in Heule’s designs, but also woven into the fabric are stories of pain often forgotten.

For example, the turquoise tears and the red hand symbolize the voices that have been silence and will not be heard.

“So many people want to tell their stories,” Heule said. “I just refuse to be silent anymore.”

Heule believes in order to heal, we must reconcile, and to reconcile, we must remember.

She uses her art to do what she can, but her latest design is a gentle nudge to one of the biggest franchises in Kansas City to help amplify her message.

“If the Chiefs are going to use the identity of the indigenous people, it’s my thought that they could, actually should, help the indigenous community,” she said. “So I was hoping to bring awareness.”

Heule says the Taylor Swift/Travis Kelce deign is a way to meet the current moment, but she hopes their platform can bridge a moment in history.

“If she could hear of this, I think that she would definitely take a part. I don’t know her personally, but I’ve seen her documentaries and stuff and I think she would be interested,” Heule said. “Maybe she would help them to see what a good opportunity this would be for everybody and bring about reconciliation.”

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