'Blackfeet Boxing: Not Invisible': The true story behind the disappearance of Native American Ashley Loring
ESPN's latest sports documentary, 'Blackfeet Boxing: Not Invisible' is based on Native American women and their plan of action to counter the harsh treatment meted out to them. Reports have suggested these women are often victims of drug and alcohol abuse that ends with them mysteriously disappearing or being found dead. To help defend themselves against the horrid dangers, Frank Kipp, a former probation officer in Montana opened the Blackfeet Nation Boxing Club.
One of the things the documentary focuses on is the disappearance of Native American, Ashley Loring Heavy Runner. The trailer shows a shot of a notice stating her as missing with a $6000 reward if she's found. Loring went missing in June 2017 and to date, there has been no word. The Guardian has an article that could be rightfully termed as gut-wrenching. The 20-year-old's last message was to her sister, Kimberly asking her to "Send some muns [money]"
Kimberly was in Africa and said she wished she could. "Are you okay" she texted back and "Always" came the reply. But in truth, she wasn't okay. No one had seen Loring since the night of the party she was last photographed in. The site also reported that two weeks after the disappearance, a young woman was spotted running on the Route 89 stretch. The search party came up empty and a grey sweater believed to be hers was misplaced by the authorities.
It is safe to say the Loring family has been relentless in their search for the missing woman. They are working with various agencies and have even brought the case to the senate's attention. Last year November marked her 23rd birthday, a grim reminder that she was gone for well over two years. "It’s extremely difficult for our family because it’s a reminder that we have to wake up again in this nightmare. It’s a reminder that Ashley isn’t here. But with pain brings strength. We’re going to keep fighting to find Ashley,” Kimberly told KTVQ.
The case is now with the FBI. "What we would like for the community to do is to keep talking about Ashley and to keep saying her name. Keep her story going around until those people that know what happened to her will finally speak," Kimberly added. The family has found a pillar of support in their community who hold annual walks in Loring's honor.
Viewers will most definitely be introduced or re-introduced to this news when they tune in on Tuesday, June 30, to catch the documentary. Directed by Kristen Lappas and journalist Tom Rinaldi, the official synopsis reads: "Blackfeet Boxing is a film about fighting — for respect, identity and acknowledgment."
"There are no scorecards or knockouts on the reservation. The prize at the Blackfeet Boxing Club is far more vital: survival."
"According to the United States Justice Department, Native American women are ten times more likely to be murdered than non-native women. More than one in three has suffered rape or attempted rape, and more than 80 percent will experience violence at some point in their lives. On the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana, these are not statistics. They are stories, of lives and families, of loss and pain."
You can watch the trailer here:
'Blackfeet Boxing: Not Invisible' premieres on June 30 at 7.30 pm ET on ESPN.
