The Grey Winds
The Grey Winds Project started as a passion project for Special Agent Robert A. Burnes (RET) JD, MLS (Cherokee Warrior-Cherokee Nation), his wife, Siphannay Burnes MPH (Yale ‘04), and Special Agent Shawn Walker (RET) MBA (Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation) to fight against the endemic missing, kidnapping, and murder that has plagued the women of our Native American communities for centuries. What started out as an educational-based organization morphed into an operational search and rescue team; they were not satisfied with just telling people about the problem and they wanted to be part of the solution.
However, before Shawn, Robert, Siphannay, and Shawn’s wife, Kim Walker, could be that solution they needed an organization and that organization needed a name. They all decided on The Grey Winds, which translates in most Native American cultures as “Those Who Speak for the Missing or Dead.” “Grey,” signifies the missing person. Their light has faded-they cannot be seen. “Winds” signifies their breath or their words. The Grey Winds Project was born on a snowy December day in 2022; a chance to speak and act for those who couldn’t speak and act on their own.
With the group name decided, the newly formed Grey Winds Project addressed the method of operations. They already knew the typical response to missing persons was not the most efficient response to missing persons’ calls for service. Time has always been against the first responder. The first 24 hours are the most critical and the faster a search and rescue team can be deployed, the greater the odds that the missing person will be found. They knew, from their decades of experience, that being on foot is one thing, but deploying specially equipped machines, drones, horses, or a combination of all three increased their efficiency, which increased the likelihood of locating the missing person(s) so they divided the team into Equine, Special Vehicle (Motorcycle, ATV, and Side-by-Sides), and drones.
The Grey Winds Project quickly realized that drones, motorcycles, and horses were not only more efficient, they were cost-effective and they did not disturb the environment (which would increase the danger to the missing person) like a helicopter or large groups of people would. The team put their efforts into securing the best in drone tech, equine training, and equipment for adventure motorcycles.
The Grey Winds Project SRT also realized that education was key to reducing the odds a person would go missing, be groomed/kidnapped, and/or become a victim of trafficking. The Grey Winds Project SRT created a high-school internship team in the summer of 2024 and created an outreach and education program designed to reach high school-aged students and college students (the most targeted age group for traffickers and the most likely age to go missing). This endeavor will not only provide training to the students but also work with local area therapists for those who have already been victimized.
The Grey Winds Project SRT remains dedicated to missing persons, missing persons at-risk, Amber Alert, Silver Alert, and anti-trafficking missions. There is absolutely no charge to the families, the county, the state, or the US Government for our services. The Grey Winds Project SRT exists, entirely, on donations and grants.
Wadu,
The Grey Winds Project Team
