Murder of 14-year-old Emily Pike, San Carlos Apache, sparks grief among Indigenous nationwide

A vigil in Mesa, Ariz., on March 6. | Samantha Chow / AP

The body of Emily Pike, San Carlos Apache teen, was found horrifically dismembered on Feb. 14, north of Globe, Ariz., in a wilderness area. Her remains were found in large black garbage bags.

Her head, torso, and legs were found in separate bags; her arms and hands have yet to be found. Her life was taken in the most violent way imaginable, with severe trauma to her face and head.

She went missing from her group home in Mesa, Ariz., on Saturday, Jan. 27. Her remains were not positively identified until Feb. 27, then only by dental records. Emily’s murder has reverberated throughout Indigenous communities across the country with rallies, memorials, and candlelight prayer vigils. Shock, outrage, and grief—all are being felt.

There are so many levels to this terrible tragedy which befell this child, yes Emily was a child! She loved painting and animals, with aspirations of going to college and becoming a veterinarian.

Justice for Emily should not be delayed nor denied, as is so often in the case of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG).

Somebody always knows something. Somebody always has a secret. The monster or monsters who perpetrated, who committed this horrible crime must be apprehended and very soon. This case cannot be allowed to descend into the realm of the unsolved.

Emily heartbreakingly joined the ranks of thousands of Indigenous women, girls, and other Indigenous people whose cases remain unsolved. My own family lost a niece to the MMIWG epidemic in 2018, and that case is still unsolved. Homicide is still among the top ten leading causes for death of Indigenous females aged 1-45.

On March 6, hundreds from tribal nations across Arizona gathered at Encounter AZ Church in Mesa, near where Emily was last known to be before disappearing, to pay their respects to the beloved teenager. Many wore red ribbons to symbolize the MMIWG.

A candlelight vigil was held on Saturday, March 15, at the Apache Gold Casino and Resort to honor Emily’s life and to promote awareness of the MMIWG crisis affecting Indigenous communities throughout the country. Locally, the Indigenous Peoples Coalition is holding a memorial service for Emily on March 23.

The effects of colonization and genocide are still being felt to this very day.

Justice for Emily!

No more stolen sisters!

No more murdered daughters, granddaughters, sisters, nieces, and cousins!

Let Emily’s death not be in vain!

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CONTRIBUTOR

Albert Bender

Albert Bender is a Cherokee activist, historian, political columnist, and freelance reporter. He is currently writing a legal treatise on Native American sovereignty and working on a book on the war crimes committed by the U.S. against the Maya people in the Guatemalan civil war He is a consulting attorney on Indigenous sovereignty, land restoration, and Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) issues.