Talking Cedar is Releasing MMIW Tribal Pale Ale to Support Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women
Talking Cedar Brewery, owned and operated by the Chehalis Tribe in Rochester, is about to release a beer with a purpose well beyond wetting your whistle. MMIW Tribal Pale Ale is a limited-edition release created to raise awareness of the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. Look for the beer starting in October.
Look for MMIW Tribal Pale Ale in 4-packs of 16-ounce cans labeled “Brewed for Justice, Brewed for Our Sisters.” A portion of proceeds from every can will go to the Urban Indian Health Institute and other Washington-based organizations the brewery selected for their work on research, advocacy, and support for families affected by the MMIW crisis.
You Need to Know This
The numbers are stark. According to the CDC, Indigenous women experience violence at rates up to ten times the national average. The available data suggests that over 5,500 indigenous women went missing last year; however, accurate numbers are hard to pin down because of systemic underreporting, poor record-keeping, and racial misclassification by law enforcement. Also, while the national homicide clearance rate sits between 50 and 60 percent, cases involving Indigenous women are resolved at a markedly lower rate.
“More people should know about this crisis, and more people should be upset by it,” said Jackie Dodd-Mallory, Talking Cedar’s Director of Marketing. “Beer is our craft. It’s what we make, it’s how we connect with people, and in this case, it gives us a way to bring this issue in front of an audience that may not otherwise hear about it. If we can use what we do to get more people paying attention, asking questions, and caring about what’s happening to Indigenous women, then that matters.”
Each can carries original artwork by Ryan Burnett, a Chehalis Tribe member whose work has been recognized by the Washington State History Museum and the Washington State In the Spirit competition. His design incorporates the red hand, a symbol widely associated with the MMIW movement.
On the brewing side, MMIW Tribal Pale Ale is described as hoppy and bright, with pine and citrus notes — built with water drawn from the Chehalis Tribe’s own aquifer. Ryan Myhre, Talking Cedar’s Director of Brewing and Distilling Operations, said the beer was designed around the classic PNW pale ale profile, but that its real identity comes from its ties to tribal land, tribal water, and the story the brewery is using it to tell.
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