Justice Focus: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women
Every 6 weeks or so, we’ll use a blog post to focus on the latest justice issue Harbor has chosen to learn about and engage. These guest posts will be written by our own justice team or other experts who are working against oppression. This week’s post is from Allie Reefer, leader of our justice team and PR specialist for Jewish Family and Community Services in Pittsburgh.
[TW: Violence, sexual assault]
Every year, hundreds to thousands of Indigenous women go missing, but no one is talking about it.
Native women are facing an epidemic of violence—4 out of 5 Indigenous women experience violence at some point in their lifetime; over half experience sexual assault. Murder is the third-leading cause of death for Native women and girls, with victim ages ranging from 0 to 83. In fact, Indigenous women are murdered at a rate 10 times higher than any other ethnicity in the United States. Most of this violence is committed by non-natives on Native land or happens to Indigenous women who live off-reservation, making incidents underreported and harder to track.
The problem of Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women (MMIW) originated during the colonial project, when European explorers arrived, taking over Native Americans’ lands and trying to force the people to assimilate to Euro-centric culture. Today, it is perpetuated by continued racism and sexualization of Native women, as well as a lack of effort and dedication on behalf of law enforcement and the government to protect and report violence against Indigenous people.
The high risk of violence against Indigenous women is made even worse by staggering poverty rates, a lack of quality education, and high substance abuse rates—again, all factors that stem from the colonization and cultural assimilation of Native Americans throughout US history.
The MMIW problem is complex and requires more than simple cosmetic policy changes in the existing Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which has been the US government’s primary tactic in recent years. These policy changes lack an understanding of Native culture and do not take into consideration the many deep-rooted issues leading to high rates of murder and violence again Indigenous women.
While the problem is complex, there are ways to push for and enact change. Here are some ways that you, even if you’re just learning about this injustice for the first time, can help with MMIW:
LEARN about the history of violence and racism toward the Native American tribes, and especially toward their women and girls, in the US. Find out what tribes are close to where you live and learn about their history and culture. Invest in decolonizing your understanding of American history and the US relationship with Indigenous people so that you can better understand the need for systemic changes.
You can start learning here: “The Native Story,” by Native Hope
ADVOCATE for stronger policies and protections at the local, state, and federal levels to eliminate violence against Indigenous women and strengthen Native American communities through access to resources and rights that will help them grow and thrive.
Explore advocacy here: National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center—Policy Center
DONATE to one of the many organizations working to help Native communities report and find missing women and girls. These groups also advocate for better policies and law enforcement protection. The organizations below are Native-run, meaning they are heavily invested in the well-being of their communities and have a deep and personal understanding of the needs.
If you have any questions about this issue or would like to join our justice team, you can let us know by filling out this form.
