Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig's LaKaylee Kingbird sets sights on a better future for community

May 31—BENA — For LaKaylee Kingbird, life's challenges have informed her pursuits of a better future for herself and her community.

As she navigates the disappearance of her sister Nevaeh, who went missing from Bemidji in 2021, Kingbird is taking a stance of solidarity by rallying behind the cause of missing and murdered Indigenous women.

Doing so in the midst of attending school and formulating her future plans hasn't been easy, but it's worthwhile work when she's able to rally in a sea of red.

"We're still trying to bring (Nevaeh) home," Kingbird said. "I've been going to conferences on top of conferences, doing interviews, talking about the topic of my sister and what I'm doing to bring awareness to what's happening in my community."

On track to graduate from

Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig School,

Kingbird's next step will involve Leech Lake Tribal College in the fall where she plans to pursue law enforcement. Her sister's disappearance played an integral role in her decision to pursue this field.

"It took a huge toll on my family, in our community," Kingbird detailed about Nevaeh's disappearance. "The way the cops handled my sister's investigation is kind of what pushed me to want to be a better person for my people."

Her sister's influence also led her back to Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig after Kingbird attended its Niigaane Ojibwe Immersion Program during her elementary years and transferred to Bemidji Area Schools in fifth grade so she could learn how to read in English.

Nevaeh remained at Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig throughout her school years though the pair were determined to attend the same school again so they could play sports together, specifically volleyball and basketball.

"I ended up not being able to come back (to Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig) right away. There was a waiting list and I missed (my spot) because of family issues, so (Nevaeh) was pretty upset," Kingbird said. "They still let me come back here when I got the chance to, but when they did accept me, my sister was already missing."

Nevaeh's disappearance also coincided with Kingbird's decision to work on her mental health struggles in a group home, where she resided for around eight months. All the while, she kept up with her schoolwork.

"I didn't really get to do school through the pandemic. I was going through a hard time because I was just home all the time," Kingbird said, "but that's why I decided I wanted to go somewhere and get help. I did all these steps for me to be successful, but it was hard.

"While I was gone, that's when Nevaeh went missing. I came home and everything was different."

Despite her challenges, Kingbird is moving into the future with the motivation to do right by her sister and many others who go missing by honoring them in different ways.

"I still was able to do sports in honor of my sister," Kingbird mentioned. "I do spread awareness here and get a lot of feedback from the students because it affects them as well as the teachers. It helps me because people understand what I'm going through. Even if they can't help me, they still understand."

Kingbird has turned to Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig staff member Petra Rodriguez and her mother, Teddi Wind, for support when she has needed it the most.

"They're the two people that take the time to understand me and try to help me cope with what I'm going through at a young age," Kingbird said. "They've helped me a lot because I'm here. I'm just about to graduate and it took a lot to get where I am today."

Family and success are Kingbird's biggest motivations as she continues her work post-high school.

"The main thing for me is family," Kingbird left off. "Losing close family members gives me a better look at wanting to spend more time with my family because you don't know how much time you have with certain people."

Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig's graduation will take place at 6 p.m. on Thursday, June 1.