Atlanta Braves face Cincinnati Reds on nationally recognized Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Awareness Day
When the Atlanta Braves face off against the Cincinnati Reds at Truist Park May 5, Braves players will sport Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women bracelets beaded by three Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians artists —David Green, Richard Sneed and Gracie Bird.
May 5 is designated as Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Awareness Day throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Green beads under the name Appalachian Beader. He was commissioned by the Braves to bead 25 of the 60 MMIW bracelets requested.
“I have family out west who deal with this on a bigger scale than we do here in North Carolina,” said Green. “I have seen friends who have had family go missing or were murdered and essentially filed away and forgotten about as if the report itself was an inconvenience. Spreading awareness, in my opinion, resorts back to the saying, ‘see something, say something’ with hopes that if enough people ‘say something’ maybe people will start taking better notice of this issue.”
The MMIWG crisis in ongoing.
According to the U.S. Department of the Interior Indian Affairs, a National Crime Information Center study conducted in 2016 showed approximately 5,712 reports of missing American Indian and Alaska Native females in the U.S. Department of Justice’s federal missing persons database. However, the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, the nation’s missing, unidentified and unclaimed person cases information center only recorded approximately 116 of those cases.
Laura Blythe, Atlanta Braves Cultural Committee member, said the MLB team and EBCI established a cultural committee to strengthen its longstanding relationship and foster community outreach.
“Each year, the Braves host awareness activities during games held on or near this date,” said Blythe. “For 2025, the Braves sought to commission EBCI artisans to create handmade beaded bracelets for players and organizational staff to wear in recognition of MMIP. You’ll see some players wearing these powerful pieces during the game with staff showing their support on-site as well.”
Green was born and raised in Bryson City and graduated from Swain County High School. He started beading around the age of 12.
“I was taught by my late grandfather, Jim Long of Cherokee, N.C.,” Green said. “He taught me the basics and said that was what I needed to know. So, everything I have ever wanted to make was self-taught.”
The Appalachian Beader beads graduation caps, wallets, keychains, necklaces, earrings, lanyards and more.
“I, originally, learned as a way to preserve my heritage because of what is known as ‘whitewashing,’” Green said. “I was never taught language, craft or traditions.”
Green beads to keep his heritage alive, but not without effort and time.
“What goes into beading is both easy to answer and extremely difficult to answer,” Green said. “On the one hand, it is easy. You string beads together to form patterns and use different techniques to make various shapes and objects. On the other hand, it is difficult because there are a number of different things that go into making a piece, such as color placement, patterns, designs and what do you wanna make. Then, there is a deeper question you have to ask yourself, ‘What do I want to convey with my work? Do I want to tell a story? Do I just want to make something aesthetically pleasing?’ Personally, I like to tell stories or to showcase beautiful designs.”
On a slow month, Green beads an average of 10 to 20 pieces.
“Each month varies,” he said. “One month could be more necklaces or keychains and the other month it could be solely earrings.”
During busy summer months, Green could bead anywhere from 50 to 100 pieces.
“I do a lot of selling to gift shops in Bryson and Cherokee, as well as markets,” said Green.
The Appalachian Beader was noticed by the Atlanta Braves during an open application and interview process.
“The only things they asked for were that they be flat stitched or loom beading, easy break away clasp and for them to be MMIW related,” Green said. “Everything else was purely up to our discretion as far as design and colors.”
Each bracelet took the avid beader about two hours to make.
“Overall, doing 25 bracelets took me roughly 50 hours,” Green said. “The deadline for these bracelets was April 4. Beading for the Braves was an honor because it showed that there are big names out there, outside of our community interested in speaking out and bringing awareness. It was also a great way for me to showcase my art and the experience I have gathered over the years.”
Green will not bead more of the bracelets unless specifically ordered.
“It’s just because they weren’t intended to be a part of my everyday products,” he said. “Now, that might change if over time more and more people inquire about them.”
Green hopes beading MMIW bracelets for the Atlanta Braves brings more work his way.
“This will be the biggest client that I have ever had in the 15 years that I’ve been beading,” he said. “Hopefully, after this maybe I can do more for higher caliber clients.”
Green’s vendor name is Appalachian Beader and his Instagram handle is “the_appalachian_beader.”
“We’re proud to uplift his artistry and voice through this collaboration,” said Blythe on behalf of the Atlanta Braves.