24-year-old MarLynn Cloud, Apsáalooke name Stands in His Light, is a Billings-based community and education advocate and recent fellow with the D.C. policy organization the Center for Native American Youth.
“I’ve always wanted to do advocacy work within MMIP,” she said, referring to an epidemic also at times called Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples or Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women because of the high rate of women and girls affected.
The Center for Native American Youth fellowship, called “Remembering our Sisters,” provides funding, mentorship and other resources for Indigenous women ages 18 to 24 who are passionate about raising awareness around the Missing and Murdered epidemic.
“I’ve just had MMIW victims within my own family and then Billings in general [in Yellowstone County.] There has been a lot of MMIP cases also within Big Horn County,” said Cloud.
Cloud presents the 20-page zine like a scrapbook with rolling fonts, flower cut-outs and taped corners. It features AI-assisted visual art reinterpreting Renaissance paintings and photos of Indigenous children past and present. It’s available online at the Center for Native American Youth, and Cloud says she’s looking into printing copies to share at the Billings Public Library and elsewhere.
The Center for Native American Youth is taking applications for the next cohort in the “Remembering our Sisters,” fellowship through January 15.
