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Allison Campbell

Members of the Indigenous Student Collective pause for a moment of silence during a memorial held for actor and Native American Cole Brings Plenty. Members met last Friday to say a few words on Bring Plenty's behalf and mourn other missing and murdered Indigenous people.

The faint glow of candlelight could be seen from outside the Grace Memorial Chapel Friday evening as members of the Indigenous Student Collective (ISC) gathered in memory of Cole Brings Plenty, a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and an actor in the “Yellowstone” spin-off “1923.”

ISC President Hannah Domebo, with the help of ISC adviser Stefanie Coronado, coordinated the memorial to bring attention to the ever-growing number of missing and murdered indigenous people.

“I feel like, whenever they (Native Americans) pass away, it’s often overlooked just because it’s kind of, like, a minor group,” Domebo, who has ancestors from the Ponca, Kiowa and Quapaw tribes, said. 

Brings Plenty was found dead outside Kansas City earlier this month after he was suspected in an alleged incident of domestic violence. He was reported missing by his family and was discovered nearly a week later in a wooded area. 

Brings Plenty was a student at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas, and was 27 years old when he died. An emerging actor, Brings Plenty was known for his roles in Western and biographical TV shows in which he represented Native American characters.

Controversy surrounded Brings Plenty’s death after it was discovered that his hair, which holds significant meaning in some Native American communities, may have been cut without his permission.

“To some people, it’s just hair. (For Native Americans) it’s different,” Domebo said. “Some hold it sacred to them. When that gets cut off, that’s like a very significant piece of them. And it’s obviously not just something to be played around with.”

The night he went missing, Brings Plenty attended a concert in Lawrence. According to the Los Angeles Times, witnesses saw his hair get caught in a microphone cable before a patron attempting to free him cut it.

Sophomore Casey Henderson, a member of ISC, said while she can’t be sure of what happened to Brings Plenty, the significance of his death and the cutting of his hair still merits attention. 

“The fact that his hair was cut is still something that we need to speak about,” she said.

Henderson joined ISC not long after it was recognized in the fall of 2023. She said the sense of belonging she feels from the group is integral when it comes to coping with the loss of a community member.

“Having a community is deeply embedded in who we are … So it helps to, like, share your thoughts and just genuinely how you feel about things and know that other people are helping you go through that and also feel the same way,” Henderson said. “It’s very validating.”

Henderson said having other Native American peers is important, now more than ever, as indigenous people face increasingly high rates of violence. 

“It’s a topic that I feel … needs to be talked about. Not a whole lot of people realize that there’s a … very large percentage of indigenous people who go missing and end up murdered,” Henderson said. “It’s, like, rampant. It’s always been like this.”

Since Bring Plenty’s death, the court documents associated with the investigation have been sealed by a Johnson County judge. While a cause of death for Brings Plenty was not disclosed, police said they did not suspect foul play.

“I feel like there’s no definitive answer, and since the police aren’t looking into it, it’s hard to (know) … what actually happened, so it’s hard to tell if it was motivated by his race,” Domebo said. “It’s just kind of, like, up in the air.” 

Domebo said she hopes through other events, ISC can raise awareness for missing and murdered indigenous peoples. Because of Bring Plenty’s fame, she said the movement has greater potential to gain traction and engage more advocates.

“It’s not like you want things like this to happen, but … these are the things that bring awareness. When you have these things happen, I feel like you have to take action,” Domebo said. “It sucks that it has to be that way, but that’s the way to get people to start listening.”

After a brief speech expanding on the context of Bring Plenty’s death, members lit candles to honor his memory. In her handmade ribbon work skirt, Henderson sang the first verse of “Amazing Grace” in Cherokee.

Group members paused for an extended moment of silence before exchanging hugs and walking each other to the parking lot.

Upcoming events and meetings hosted by the Indigenous Student Collective can be found on the organization’s Instagram and Facebook pages.