(Radio Iowa) – A pow wow this weekend in northwest Iowa will highlight the issue of Native Americans who have had relatives killed or go missing. The non-profit Red Sky Nation was founded by the family of Terri McCauley, who was a Native American murdered in Sioux City in 1983. Red Sky Nation executive director Trisha Rivers says native people face higher rates of violence, poverty, drug abuse and homelessness.

Rivers says Native Americans face higher rates of violence, poverty, drug abuse, and homelessness, and the non-profit hopes to change that.

Terri McCauley’s cold case finally led to the arrest of Thomas Popp recently, and his trial is scheduled to start next month (August 12th).

The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Pow Wow gets started this afternoon (Friday) at Riverside Park in Sioux City and continues through the weekend.

(By Sheila Brummer, Iowa Public Radio)