The Story of Rosenda Strong

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Rosenda Strong was a 31-year-old mother, sister, and beloved member of the Yakama Nation. In 2018, she disappeared after leaving home for what was supposed to be a short outing.

Over nine months later, her body was found in a freezer in a remote location. Yet, years on, her family is still left with questions, without full justice, and without closure.

In this episode of Vanished Voices, we tell Rosenda’s story—not just the tragedy of her disappearance, but the life she lived and the family who continues to fight for her.

We also explore how her case sheds light on the larger Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women crisis, one that impacts Native communities across the United States and Canada, and why voices like Rosenda’s must never be forgotten.

Resources

• National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center – MMIW Toolkit & Resources NIWRC
• StrongHearts Native Helpline (24/7 support) Office for Victims of Crime
• Association on American Indian Affairs – Survivor Resources & Toolkits Association on American Indian Affairs
• Not Our Native Daughters (advocacy & awareness) Not Our Native Daughters
• Lakota People’s Law Project – MMIW Resource Guide lakotalaw.org
• The Vanished (Yakama Reservation missing persons project)
  Yakima Herald-Republic
• U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs – Missing and Murdered Indigenous People bia.gov
• Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls: A Snapshot of Data from 71 Urban Cities — UIHI
• Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls Report — UIHI
• Missing or Murdered Indigenous Women: New Efforts Are Underway — U.S. Government Accountability Office
• Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) — Congressional Research Congress.gov
• Final Report: The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (Canada) — MMIWG FFADA
• The Silent and Often Invisible Crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls — National Partnership
• Reports on Violence Against Indigenous Women Are Gone from Federal Sites —

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