Navajo Woman Walks From Arizona To D.C. To Raise Awareness For Missing & Murdered Indigenous People

A Navajo woman is walking through Tulsa on her way to Washington, D.C., to raise awareness about missing and murdered Indigenous people.

She said her aunt has been missing for more than a year.

After starting her walk in Arizona last month, Seraphine Warren has been in Oklahoma for a couple of weeks, making her way through the panhandle and the state's extreme weather.

Now, she is just about halfway to her destination. With her quick pace and determination, Warren knocked out nine miles before noon on Tuesday.

"I really don't complain about the heat, the rain, anything. I feel like that's the way of the creator hugging me, actually, with the heat. So I really enjoy it actually,” she said.

Warren is searching for answers about Ella Mae Begay. "My aunt went missing last year, June 15th, and she's the main reason I'm out here,” Warren said.

Ella Mae was last seen in Sweetwater, Arizona last summer. The Navajo Nation and FBI are investigating the case.

Warren said her aunt is a professional rug weaver, with two daughters, a son and nine grandchildren.

"I'm still trying to understand what's taking so long,” she said.

On her cross country journey, a driver trails close by, both a safety measure and a chance to spread the word.

While Seraphine is walking alone, there is a community of 16,000 people following her online, through the Facebook page, “Trailing Ellamae.”

"It's hard for a lot of people to understand what we're dealing with and how hard it is,” Warren said.

Followers share stories of missing or murdered Indigenous people, like Oklahomans Christopher Teel and Aubrey Dameron.

Warren dedicates each day's walk to different people, praying along the way.

"There's no urgency to get answers faster for us,” she said.

Warren has her prayer staff with her, full of ribbons with messages from families who are also searching for answers.

"I want to find her the way I last seen her and that's why I'm trying to stress a lot of our leaders that we need somebody to help us look for my aunt,” Warren said.

Warren said she is not in a rush or on any schedule, but at a rate of about 20 to 30 miles a day, she expects to get to D.C. the first week of October.

Warren hopes to visit with Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland, and any other leaders willing to meet with her.