Sa’wade December Birdinground, a 13-year-old Indigenous girl, was last seen at her family's residence in Garryowen, Montana, on the Crow Indian Reservation, after 11:00 p.m. on October 6, 2024. When her family went to wake her the following morning, she was gone. The circumstances surrounding her disappearance are unclear, and she has not been heard from since.
Sa'Wade is described as being 5'4" to 5'5" tall, weighing 130 to 140 pounds, with brown curly hair and brown eyes. At the time of her disappearance, she was wearing a black hoodie with mushrooms on it, an anime t-shirt, basketball shorts, and purple slip-on Skechers. She may have been carrying a black and purple Adidas backpack and is also known to wear an elk tooth necklace.
An extensive search was launched in the local area following her disappearance, involving sniffer dogs, a helicopter, drones, horseback searchers, and numerous community volunteers, but no trace of Sa'wade was found. The FBI, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Big Horn County Sheriff's Office are jointly investigating her case. Sa'Wade's family turned her phone over to law enforcement for analysis; however, it did not yield any useful clues. Her disappearance is considered out of character, as she has no history of running away or being in serious trouble. Family members have stated that she was thriving at school and was excited about trying out for the basketball team. Her father, Wade Birdinground, believes she was abducted.
Sa'Wade is a member of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation and is of Crow and Hidatsa heritage. Her case has drawn attention to the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous people in the United States. In an effort to generate leads, the FBI is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to her recovery, which has been matched by the Crow Tribe, bringing the total reward to $10,000. Despite these efforts, there have been no confirmed sightings or significant leads in the investigation. The case remains open as her family and community continue to hope for her safe return.Last Seen: Oct 6, 2024
