Abolish Police Violence: No Justice, No Peace
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8th Annual Zachary Bear Heels Prayer Walk
Saturday, July 7, 2025 from 10:00am - 1:00pm
Start: Greyhound Bus Station, 1601 Jackson Street, Omaha
End: Speedee Mart, 6003 Center Street, Omaha
On June 5, 2017, Zachary (Sičangu and Kiowa Apache) was brutally murdered by four Omaha police officers. On the day of his murder, Zachary walked across Omaha during a very hot day. To remember Zachary, honor his family, and call out the racist colonial violence of the Omaha police, the Native American community and allies make that same walk every year since his death.
Please take note of the following agenda and join us at the destination if you cannot make the walk and bring water as we will have a limited supply. We will walk rain or shine but in the case of severe weather we will notify the public about any change in plans on the Facebook event page for the walk.
Agenda
10:00 AM: Walkers will meet at the Greyhound Bus Station (1601 Jackson Street).
Community members will open the event with prayer and an overview of the route.
10:20 AM: Walkers will begin their journey.
11:30 AM: We will stop halfway for a 15 min water break at Leavenworth Park (3425 Leavenworth St.).
11:45 AM: Walkers resume
12:45 PM: Walkers will arrive at the desentation, SpeeDee Mart (6003 Center St.), to begin a short peaceful vigil.
The community will pray for Zachary, his family and call out police brutality to Indigenous Peoples.
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An Ignored Epidemic: The Alarming Rate of Police-Related Deaths Among Native Americans
A staggering statistic reveals that Native Americans face an alarmingly high rate of deaths at the hands of law enforcement. Maggie Koerth from FiveThirtyEight, reports that “depending on the year, either Native Americans or African-Americans have the highest rate of deaths by law enforcement. The fact that Indigenous Peoples have such high police murder rates is not a well-known statistic because the population is smaller and because violence to Indigenous folks is not of particular interest to mainstream media. According to a CNN review of the Center for Diseases Control, “for every 1 million Native Americans, an average of 2.9 of them died annually from 1999 to 2015 as a result of a legal intervention”. For the Black population the number is 2.6, for the Latinx it is 1.7, for Whites it is 0.9 and for Asians it is 0.6."
What makes this statistic even more striking is the relatively small size of the Native American population, comprising only 0.9% of the total US population. The disparity in police-related deaths among Native Americans is a stark reminder of the systemic inequalities and injustices faced by Indigenous communities. The underreporting of these deaths is likely due to various factors, including the mixed-race identity of some individuals and the significant homeless population that remains unaccounted for. As Matthew Fletcher, director of the Indigenous Law and Policy Center, notes, "The data available likely does not capture all Native American deaths in police encounters."
Art by Moselle Singh
This epidemic is not an isolated issue; it is part of a broader pattern of violence and neglect faced by Native American communities. The Wounded Knee Massacre of 1890, which resulted in the deaths of up to 300 Lakota people, including women and children, remains one of the deadliest mass shootings in US history. Furthermore, Native Americans are disproportionately affected by other epidemics, such as missing and murdered women, abuse, rape, stalking, runaway children, and violence committed by non-tribal members. These issues are often overlooked or underreported, perpetuating a cycle of invisibility and marginalization.
It is essential to acknowledge the historical trauma and ongoing systemic injustices faced by Native American communities. By shedding light on these issues, we can work towards creating a more equitable society that values the lives and dignity of all individuals, regardless of their racial or ethnic background.