IV is excited to announce our annual MMIWarriors Retreat! Thanks to the generous support from the Fund for Nonviolence, we’re once again heading to the beautiful shores of Flathead Lake on the weekend of October 3rd to bask in rest, community, sisterhood, self defense, and connection.
We’ve got another packed weekend of events for our attendees that starts off with the setting up of our 2027 Dream Tipi! This is a good way to break the ice and learn the skill of setting up a tipi on the Land. This year we’re focusing on the rest and relaxation angle of our retreat and have invited Elders to share stories about the land we’re on, encourage connection with the water through kayaking, or spending time in our wellness room to meditate or decompress.
Indigenous Vision’s annual MMIWarriors Retreat is scheduled for the weekend of October 3rd, 2026 at Flathead Lake United Methodist Camp.
Held along the beautiful shores of Flathead Lake, Montana, we’ll gather for a weekend of self defense training, land & water connection, rest and meditation, storytelling, bonfires, ribbon skirt making, networking, and sisterhood and more!
This is a camping retreat at the Flathead Lake United Methodist Camp in Rollins, MT. Attendees will be assigned to one of the shared cabin spaces at check-in on October 2, 2026 at 12:00 pm.
Included with the registrations fee:
- lodging in either HI-LINE, PLAINS PARADISE, MISSOULA, or HAVRE (mens only) cabins.
- food, water, beverages, snacks
- activities; self defense, kayaking, ribbon skirt making, professional head or glamor shots, learn how to set up a tipi, story telling session by local Elders, wellness room for relaxing, meditating, smudging, and praying.
- door prize ticket, draw held Saturday night after dinner
You must bring your own:
- Sleeping bag
- Pillow
- Towels
- Personal care products; toothbrush, toothpaste, wash clothes and body soap (some toiletries available in bathhouses like body wash, deodorant, body spray & lotion)
- Self care items that encourage relaxation; eye masks, slippers, comfy & warm clothes, bathrobes, face masks, teas and medicines.
*Travel expenses not included
**All cabins are non-smoking. No dogs or other pets allowed. No recreational THC or alcohol consumption permitted on the property.
Any questions can be emailed to MMIW Director, Melissa Spence: hello@indigenousvision.org
We have a designated cabin for men, all other cabins are for women and young children only.
Wifi and cell phone service limited, parking is free.
This event is part of our MMIWarriors Program, our primary goal is to create a blue-print model of our self defense workshops and retreats/camps that can be easily duplicated and offered across all Tribal Nations to bring together community members working and living through the MMIW/G2S MMIP crisis.
The lived experience of Indigenous women who have encountered violence and trauma in their everyday lives (intergenerational, historically), is a stressor on not just the mental and physical state of our well-being but to our Spirit as well. Compound that stressor with the heavy labor of organizing, attending, facilitating, MC-ing, and promoting MMIW/MMIP events, and you have an Indigenous person who is more susceptible to chronic pain, disease, and stress related illness.
The nature of our existence as Indigenous women under our detrimental societal constructs of race and misogyny, and with the very real systemic oppression, leaves us in a perpetual state of stress.
Long term stress has been proven to lead to serious medical problems. A personal wellness plan with built-in periods of recovery and self-care can help Indigenous women manage the stress, acknowledge and move through trauma, and empower themselves to make healthy life changes.
Indigenous people are a vital part of the ecosystem. Indigenous stewardship is often traditionally led by women, therefore, all sustainability efforts NEED the knowledge and participation of women.
All sponsorship spots are currently filled by local and surrounding Tribal members.
Waiver must be signed at check-in.
This event was made possible by the generous support from the Fund for Non-Violence and Grantmakers for Girls of Color. Thank you to all of our volunteers and donors who continue to support us.
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