‘WE RIDE FOR HER’

There is a national epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people — and it’s unknown just how widespread it is due to a lack of proper documentation and attention. One Indigenous women’s motorcycle group, the Medicine Wheel Riders, took to the road for 10 days, five states and 1,500 miles to raise awareness in 2023. WE RIDE FOR HER, a 20-minute short-film documentary, tells the story of the MMIWG2 movement, the Medicine Wheel Riders and one member of their community in search of their missing sister. The Unitarian Universalist Church in Eugene is screening the documentary Tuesday, Jan. 21. The screening is followed by guest speaker Marta Lu Clifford of the Chinook, Cree, Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. Clifford is an elder-in-residence at the University of Oregon and co-founder of illioo Native Theatre, a company that produces Native, First Nations and Indigenous theater and spoken word. Spare some time on Tuesday to follow along with the women riding in resilience.

The WE RIDE FOR HER screening is 6:30 pm Tuesday, Jan. 21, at Unitarian Universalist Church, 1685 West 13th Avenue. FREE.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!