Maple Valley residents have a chance to meet an activist working for the rights of Native American women.

“Maple Valley Rotary welcomes Rosalie Fish, a runner who runs to bring attention to the plight of missing and murdered indigenous women, to its Friday morning meeting on July 12,” a Rotary press release states.

Fish, a member of the Cowlitz Tribe who attended Muckleshoot Tribal School, made a bold statement for herself and her cause when she ran at the Class 1B state meet at Eastern Washington University with a red, painted hand print over her mouth.

“That symbol was a way to draw attention to those who cannot speak for themselves, as testified by the missing and murdered indigenous women in our area seemingly being ignored by the media and the community at large,” the press release states. “For instance, women on some reservations are 10 times more likely to be murdered than the national average, yet the issue receives scant attention as a whole.”

“I can’t think of a better speaker to bring to my first Friday morning meeting as president of the club,” Newly installed Maple Valley Rotary President Cindy Holm stated in the press release. “Rosalie’s passion for speaking for the voiceless to bring attention to this issue deserves a wide audience…and a solution.”

Founded 34 years ago, Maple Valley Rotary supports multiple local and international projects and programs including building a hospital in Cameroon, refurbishing the Black Diamond Gym, providing water filtration to schools in Cambodia, organizing and executing “Shop with a Cop” for over 500 kids each year, and providing scholarships to graduating seniors who live within the boundaries of the Tahoma School District, among countless other community service initiatives.

The club meets at 7:15 a.m. every Friday morning at the Greater Maple Valley Community Center. The club also meets at 5 p.m. on the first and third Wednesday of each month at Vintage Vino and Espresso. The public is always welcome to attend.