Standing outside of Teddy’s Residential Suites in New Town, North Dakota stood three gentlemen oil workers having a chat. After a long day’s work, these oil workers enjoy chatting it up, smoking a cigarette, and perhaps having a beer.

Each of them came from a different state: Arkansas, Washington, and New Mexico. It was each of their first time meeting one another and yet they had a lot of the same ideas and lifestyles when it came to working with oil companies.

“Whenever I’m home, I’m home,” stated the eldest. “My old lady likes it when I’m gone.”

His earlier marriage suffered from his job schedule, ultimately ending in divorce. He is currently in a new relationship and his significant other doesn’t seem to be bothered by the work schedule.

But their hectic schedule is one of the least of the workers worries. Many of the positions at oil companies come with multiple dangers and health hazards.

“Traveling is the most dangerous thing you can do in the oil field,” mentioned the youngest, who was 19-years-old, “and it’s not the actual work we do.”

The danger comes in when oil workers have to drive three hours to the oil field, have over 10 hour work days, then have to drive three more hours back home, fatigued. Sometimes putting in over 120 hours a week. But the dangers don’t end there. In the last 10 years, there have been more safety rules put in place in order to decrease the rising death toll of oil workers.

“They’ve got red zones we’re not allowed in,” said the eldest. “You’ve got to wear safety goggles. If you’re messing with anything you have to have proper protection.”

With an extensive amount of dangers must come a very reasonable pay.

“You don’t have to go to college, you don’t have to have a high school diploma, and you can make over $100,000 a year,” commented the 19 year-old.

“I wouldn’t even take a job under 100k,” joked the eldest as they all laughed together.

A job that is very hazardous to its employees must have some type of effect everywhere else. Fort Berthold is illuminated in the dark by flares coming up and out from the ground all day and into the night.

“Look at the other countries that don’t have EPA regulations,” spoke the eldest, “China and Africa are polluting 10 times worse than what we’re doing here.”

The reasoning behind many oil workers staying at working hazardous positions like this is the pay. A job where starting rate without a high school or college diploma is already 100k, it becomes difficult to turn down. Oil workers with families may find it more difficult to turn down an opportunity like that. Some who don’t have families find comfort in gambling.

“My old lady doesn’t have to work and my kids are well taken care of.” He spoke again in regards this time to why he kept working with the oil company.

Oil companies bring strangers into towns where everyone knew one another at some point. New Town had slowly become a place where strangers where now often seen at bars and restaurants. New Town residents no longer know everyone walking the streets. After the case of Olivia Lonebear in 2017 and 2018, many of the residents of the small town have began speculating and becoming afraid of strangers entering.

“If you look at the increase in child abductions and stuff like that, everything has increased,” he said, “but its not just people in the oil field that’s everywhere.”

After speaking with other New Town residents, it became apparent that they did not feel comfortable with the oil workers coming in to their town. They are all strangers to them.

“In the oil field, you make a lot of money. When you make a lot of money then drugs and addiction follow and it creates problems,” explained the youngest.

“A lot of the oil field workers by the time they come home they barely want to eat and go to bed because they got to back up in six hours,” stated the eldest.

At the beginning none of them wanted to acknowledge the fact that some oil workers could be reason for many Native American women who have gone missing in passed and recent years. They began joking. “Lets go on our crime spree tonight! No, I’m to tired I gotta turn it in man,” laughed the third gentleman who is a gatekeeper for one of the oil companies in New Town.

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On that day, everyone was there to welcome back on old friend. Tyson Merrick and his family had hosted the event, in memory of his older brother, Kenny Merrick Jr. Tyson’s brother had passed a year ago due to health problems.

“In our cultural ways, you are taught to respect your loved ones by putting things away for a while. My father taught us, ‘In honor of your brother, you put away what you love’, which is singing,” he explained.

Kenny loved to sing at powwows. In order to honor and respect him, the Merrick family had to put their singing on hold.

Powwows have different meaning to most. Some go to dance, some go to sing, and some may go as spectators. Chaske LaBlanc knew Kenny and his family. He described Kenny as a compassionate and giving person. He was a powwow dancer and had traveled from his hometown in Minnesota to welcome back Tyson and his family.

“Everyone dances for different reasons,” he began.

Chaske dances for his family—being his children and wife. He hopes to teach his children what his grandparents taught him, “not to be ashamed”. He was wearing his dancing outfit, which he proudly announced that was beaded by his wife. He wasn’t the only one in his family dancing that day.

“One of my babies is out there, she’s four,” he said with a smile.

Outside of the gymnasium were rows of tables placed around with beaded earrings and necklaces, blankets, and snacks. Mary Topsky was sitting by at one of the tables, listening to the singers’ voices echo from the gymnasium to her stand.

“I feel really comfortable when I come here,” she explained.

Mary Topsky had been going to powwows since she was a young girl. She described powwows as family gatherings— everyone is always kind and welcoming. Currently, Mary has changed her dancing style to fit a new style created for elder dancers.

“I feel free when I get out there and just enjoy myself,” she glowed. There were people attending the powwow from Indian Nations from all over the country and Canada.

“The more you come to the powwow, the more people you know,” shared Mary as a gentleman walked up to her stand.

Women and men walked around in their traditional dancing attire, each different and very intricately designed. Like Chaske, each person wore it proudly.

“As you can see, they are all starting to dress like each other” Mary described as three women, dressed in their traditional attire, walked passed, “even though they come from different tribes.”

Some resembled each other but, nonetheless, were very different in color, beads, and feathers, even though they were from different tribes.

All came from different places to celebrate life at the powwow. While some proudly sang, others gathered around the middle to dance. People come to powwows for different reasons. Today, everyone was gathered to remember Kenny, who loved to sing. Tyson and his family were moved by everyone in attendance.

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“She was with a person with whom she knew,” explained Lead Detective Guy Baker of the Missoula Police Department.

Jermain was last seen at a bar in Missoula. Detective Baker has been with the Missoula Police Department for 29 years and has been doing detective work for 18 and a half years. He described this case as his, “most challenging case”. He believes that she’s been a victim of sex trafficking and still believes that she may be alive.

He has spent over 2,500 man-hours on the case and has done over a dozen searches. Currently, there are half a dozen suspects and, roughly 50 people have been interviewed. He’s executed multiple search warrants in Missoula and Lake County. Detective Baker also keeps close contact with the family, speaking to them on a weekly basis through text to keep them updated on the case.

“I have done everything for Jermain.” He uttered. “They trust me. They know I have good intentions. I’m doing everything.”

Baker believes that Jermain is the only missing Native woman from the Flathead Indian Reservation (Charkoosta). The Flathead Indian Reservation is one of seven reservations in Montana.

“How does anybody not treat these cases like their wife, kids, or mother?”

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