(Fremont County, WY) – On March 15, family, friends, peers, and supportive community members from across Fremont County gathered for the “#JusticeForSteph March,” in order to honor and remember 18-year-old Stephanie Grace Bearstail (daughter of Kevin and Nikki Ferris), whose life was tragically taken on March 4.
Around 200 attendees participated in the March, ranging from young children being carried by their mothers and fathers, to Tribal Elders who participated despite being in wheelchairs or needing the assistance of canes to walk. Roughly half of those in attendance were youths and teens around Stephanie’s age, many of whom bore the red handprint symbol of the MMIP/MMIW cause on their faces and clothes.
Marchers gathered at the 789 Smoke Shop in Riverton and walked down Rendezvous Road to the site where the events transpired that led to Stephanie’s untimely death. The March concluded with a speech from MMIP advocate Nicole Wagon and a cedaring blessing from Lance Oldman.
A Family Member Remembers
County 10 spoke with Allison Quiver Warren, one of the March organizers and Stephanie’s adoring aunt, who shared memories of Stephanie and the reasoning behind the March.
Allison is no stranger to tragedy, having lived through the deaths of multiple family members and seeing the effects of addiction and domestic violence, not just in her family, but the community at large. She expressed pride in her family members who have since beaten addiction, and sadness/remorse for those who did not. Allison commented that it was at her sister’s funeral when she last saw Stephanie.
“She (Stephanie) and her mom Nikki helped me with everything (at that funeral). I realized that she was a young adult. She’s not the little girl I knew when I left this place.”
Allison explained that she had moved when her grandmother passed away in 2019, before returning to Fremont County years later to be closer to family.
Allison shared that she, her brother, and her mother spent a lot of time with Stephanie when she was a toddler, and that as she got older, her family “all pitched in and started getting her into the powwow circuit.”
“The cousins would teach her the dance moves, and she was dancing ever since.”
Stephanie was a jingle-dress dancer, and Allison explained that she wasn’t in it for the competitive aspect, but rather out of a passion and connection to her family and culture.
Stephanie later attended Lander Valley High School and Sherman Indian High School in California before returning to Fort Washakie High School, where she was active in both basketball and volleyball.
Stephanie would have graduated from Fort Washakie this year, and had plans to go into the medical field. She was taking college courses while still in high school, and wanted to specialize in radiology.
Allison went on to explain that her connection with Stephanie would have run even deeper, since she herself is a CNA and has been for 10 years.
“I was excited because I’m already in the health field, you know, and I was like, hey, this is so cool, we have something (else) to bond over,” Allsion said.
“But I never got that chance, and that’s what hurts me. I never got that chance.”
“She was a goofy girl, you know, liked to make people laugh, just outgoing, liked to do everything,” Allison continued before commenting on the special bond Stephanie had with her brothers.
“Oh, man, she had him wrapped around his finger,” Allison laughed as she thought about how Stephanie interacted with her older brother Wesley. “He watched over her, any little thing. He babied her, spoiled her. He’s so heartbroken right now.”
Stephanie was also very protective of her younger brothers Trey and Johnny, Allison added, and “loved being a big sister.”
“It’s been devastating on the family. From the top down to the little ones.”
A Call To Action
Allison also reiterated that Stephanie’s story is one of many, and urged any readers of this article to start talking to their kids.
“I just want everybody to start talking to their kids. It starts at home. You gotta talk to your kids. Kids don’t listen, but push it, push it, push it.”
“We have to start working on ourselves so that it goes down to our kids and their kids, especially being Native, because (it’s not) just about raising awareness or whatever. We (have) other responsibilities, culturally. We (have to) teach them how to cedar, teach them (about) the NAC ceremony, Sundance, sweats, and countless others… These kids don’t understand that they’re different from non-natives. They’ve got more responsibility. And if we teach them that, then maybe something will change somewhere down the line.”
“What I really want to put out there is somebody knows something,” Allison reiterated before asking anybody with information to call the report hotline (307-335-7559), which is completely anonymous.
“It’s not snitching, you’re helping. You’re doing your part and helping Stephanie,” Allison clarified.
“Any little tiny tip can tip this case off so that we can get justice. The family can get peace knowing what happened, and then we can try to start healing, you know?”
As of this writing, no new public details on Stephanie’s case have emerged.
Allison concluded by thanking fellow March organizer Bobbi Shongutsie, Stephanie’s parents Nikki and Kevin, March speaker Nicole Wagon along with Corinne Tuma of Medicine Wheel Ride, Bianca Nunez-Wheeler for helping spread the word about the March, Lance Oldman for conducting the cedaring, and “anyone/everyone else” who helped/showed their support.
She added that a candlelight vigil in Stephanie’s honor is forthcoming, with a date, time, and location to be decided.
(Note: A benefit account for Stephanie’s family has also been set up at Central Bank and Trust locations in Riverton, Fort Washakie, and Lander, where donations can be dropped off in person. Donations can also be mailed to: CBT, P.O. Box 645, Fort Washakie WY, 82514. Questions regarding donations can be fielded to Daniel at CBT, Fort Washakie, 307-332-5978.)