Hopi family speaks on case of woman held at gunpoint before 2022 disappearance

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — For the first time, Arizona hosted a National Missing & Murdered Indigenous Peoples’ (MMIP) conference, committed to ending the crisis in our tribal communities.

The MMIP task force was created in Arizona last year. Now, we’ve learned new details about a Hopi woman who disappeared after being held at gunpoint two years ago.

“Why isn’t anybody saying anything?” said Yolanda Bydonie.

It’s a question Keisha Kootswatewa’s family has asked repeatedly since March 2022, when the Bureau of Indian Affairs contacted them, and they knew something was wrong.

“They went on to tell us there was an incident that happened on the early morning of March 26th that there was a shooting,” said Bydonie.

Keisha is Yolanda Bydonie’s cousin, but culturally, she refers to her as her sister.

Yolanda said they were told Keisha, a Hopi tribal member, had been at a party in the Navajo Nation.

Keisha’s boyfriend told her loved ones the two of them hid when he said gunshots rang out.

“The boyfriend says he jumped out of the window and wanted Keisha to follow him, but by the time he jumped out they were already there and had her at gunpoint,” said Yolanda. “That was the last that we heard from Keisha.”

The FBI is now investigating Keisha’s disappearance, but it’s been Yolanda’s family coordinating search after search for Keisha, even in treacherous conditions.

“The tips coming in from the community is they dump these bodies in wells,” said Yolanda.

Her loved ones climbed into water tanks, trying to drain them to see if her remains were inside.

Her family’s commitment was on display during this week’s first national MMIP conference at the Capitol. It featured native coordinators and participants from states across the nation.

Valaura Imus-Nahsonhoya is the MMIP coordinator for the governor and helped put this on, hoping next to put ideas into motion.

“Collaborating with law enforcement, that’s the biggest ask from families,” said Valaura.

Hope and support like this keep Yolanda and her family going, who have become Keisha’s voice as they plead for information in her case.

“Let’s just forget all of this and just bring her home,” Yolanda said with tears in her eyes and desperation in her voice. Say something so we can just bring her home no matter what the situation is.”

Keisha’s family is using their social media campaign and platform, “Finding Keisha,” to generate leads and raise awareness in her case and in other missing persons cases.

They’re also working on creating a nonprofit in her name called Finding Keisha. If you’d like to donate to search efforts, you can donate via their GoFundMe.

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