06/04/2022
NEW FEATURE: Trisha Cax-Sep-Gu-Wiga Etringer
Across the country, Indigenous Women and Girls are being taken or murdered at an unrelenting rate. According to the Centers for Disease Control, murder is the 3rd leading cause of death for Indigenous Women.
But Trisha Cax-Sep-Gu-Wiga Etringer has not only dedicated her career but her whole life to ending the widespread violence against Indigenous Women.
"It takes a heavy toll on me. This hits home because my very own Auntie went missing in the 80s and was found murdered. The only reason why she was found murdered, was because there had been an accident near the location. I don't know how else she could have been found. But this is why I do what I do. It drives me to give more of myself to help combat this ongoing fight."
Trisha serves as a member of Sioux City's first Inclusive Advisory Committee and represents the Native American Community.
"I'm working on partnerships with the city, tribal leaderships, and our law enforcement. I always hear the 'hypothermia' or 'intoxication levels of our women' - it's like the go-to rule of death, but how did these Indigenous women really die? This is a public health crisis. We need to remedy this with proactive solutions, not reactive solutions."
While Trisha works diligently every day and gives so much back to Siouxland, her roots stem all the way from Waterloo, Iowa where she was raised by her adopted non-Native father.
"I grew up in a different world and not knowing about my own indigeneity, but it wasn't until I got older, that I started asking questions about my biological parents. Around 12-years-old, I had come to Sioux City to meet my biological family for the first time. I give utmost thanks to my sister Jessica who taught me all I needed to know to be Ho-Chunk."
Over the course of ten years, Trisha moved back and forth from Waterloo to Sioux City.
"I fell into hard times as well, I've been in the system as far as in the department of corrections. Some of the mistakes I've made in my life were not the greatest choices, but they got me to where I am today. Went through my own trials and tribulations. I had my first son when I was 21 and ever since then, that was my saving grace, my turnaround moment because everything revolved around him. I just never wanted to put myself in a situation where I couldn't help my kids. That meant, I had to make better choices and I have learned from them."
Then Trisha decided to go back to school and pursue a bachelor's degree. She applied to the University of Northern Iowa where she majored in Psychology and minored in Mental Health.
"It was such a beautiful but hard experience to go through, as far as college goes. I struggled, especially as a single parent. You're trying to go to college and support your household. I almost dropped out twice and was almost homeless. I had my son, and I was pregnant with my daughter at that time. Then going to Standing Rock and facing the trauma of that event, while dealing with domestic violence in my personal life. It was a lot to go through. I almost quit college."
But Trisha's life turned for the better, when Jen Cornelius, a UNI faculty member she confided in, advised her to take care of mental health and talk to a counselor.
"I thought it was so small but so powerful, for her to do that. That was definitely what I was in school for her. So it was a moment when the healer needed to be healed. So I went, and I made it through. I graduated from UNI in 2019."
Today, Trisha is the Operations & Missing Murdered Indigenous Women Director for the Great Plains Action Society. Thanks to Trisha's efforts, Sioux City Mayor Bob Scott presented the city's first proclamation for Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women during the May 2, 2022 council meeting. It was a big moment for Trisha.
"We must honor our life-givers and hold them to a sacred standard. I stand here today, because of my ancestors. Speak up, even when you're voice shakes. Don't ever think that you're not important because more times than not. People will resonate with your message."
