04/26/2026
“This doesn’t happen here.”
That’s the lie we tell ourselves.
Montana is too rural… too removed from the world problems.
The quiet truth is that it does.
It happens to our neighbors.
Our brothers.
Our sisters.
The reason it doesn’t make headlines is because it happens quietly, not the way Hollywood tells us it should. The version of human trafficking we see on the screen is loud; with car chases, explosions and shootouts.
But the real version?
It happens quietly.
Often in broad daylight.
Often traffickers don’t just take people, they build relationships. They target individuals they know are vulnerable. They can spend months posing as friends or lovers, offering connection and attention to an individual who is yearning for it.
They often look for unmet needs. And then they exploit them.
My brother and I were given a master class on this when we filmed a project about human trafficking right here in our hometown of Missoula. We interviewed an FBI agent and survivors of trafficking from our community and heard statistics that would make your skin crawl.
One thing became painfully clear: this is a business. A system built to profit off of venerable human beings.
Despite making up only 5% of the total population in the US, Indigenous people account for nearly 50% of trafficking victims. Generational trauma, systemic violence and economic hardship create layers of vulnerability that traffickers exploit.
The path to end human trafficking isn’t simple. It’s a multi-billion dollar industry.
But there is one place to start.
Love your children.
Show them their worth.
If love exists in your home, you are already doing your part to end the silence.
While no situation is ever that simple, strong support systems can help reduce vulnerability and create a foundation that’s harder to exploit.
Thank you to the strong and talented k.lafountain6 for helping bring this vision to life.
The Blackfoot Pathways Sculpture in the Wild park in Lincoln, MT was the perfect setting for this shoot and for bringing awareness to MMIP.
The contrast between the serenity of nature and the twisted branches of the sculptures felt symbolic, representing a life altered by human trafficking. Still natural. Still beautiful. But manipulated and reshaped into something it was never meant to be.
