In 2021, President Biden designated May 5th as MMIP, or Missing & Murdered Indigenous People Day. This day serves to bring awareness to the issue, standing as a reminder of the indigenous voices who have been ruthlessly silenced by European colonialism.
Although they make up 2% of the US overall population, Indigenous people, specifically women and girls, have been prime targets for violence. Murder has been designated as the third leading cause of death for native women. Specifically, it is estimated that four out of five American Indian and Alaska Native women have experienced violence in their life, with the youngest victim being a baby less than a year old and the oldest victim being an elderly woman, 83 years of age.
Unfortunately, a multitude of cases of indigenous violence go unreported. In 2016, The National Crime Information Center reported there were 5,712 reports of missing American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls. Of these reports, only 116 made it into the US Department of Justice missing people database. The underreporting of violence against indigenous communities is due to the European stigma around indigenous cultures. Victims are often blamed, and the hyper-sexualization and dehumanization of Indigenous women has contributed to the disproportionate rate of missing women. Many times, law enforcement fails to take reports seriously, and the media rarely reports on these matters. As a result, search processes have been hindered.
Therefore, on May 5th, in Canada and the US, individuals sport red clothing, attend marches, and amplify awareness for the MMIP cause. The phrase “I wear red for my sisters” and the red hand print on the mouth symbolizes the solidarity of Native American women who tirelessly advocate for shunned voices and empower each other. While it is key that more actions are taken to help the search for missing Indigenous people and prevent violence against these groups, MMIP Day is a small step in the right direction.
Works Referenced
Native Hope. "Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW)." Native Hope. Accessed July 1, 2024. https://www.nativehope.org/missing-and-murdered-indigenous-women-mmiw.
Urban Indian Health Institute. Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls: A Snapshot of Data from 71 Urban Cities in the United States. Seattle, WA: Urban Indian Health Institute, 2018. https://www.uihi.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Missing-and-Murdered-Indigenous-Women-and-Girls-Report.pdf.
Tapqaq, Sigvanna. "Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day." National League of Cities. Last modified May 3, 2024. https://www.nlc.org/article/2024/05/03/missing-and-murdered-indigenous-persons-awareness-da.
Pitzen, Peter. "Missing and Murdered: Understanding Why Indigenous Women Are Murdered and Go Missing at Higher Rates than Other Populations." The Bark, November 3, 2021. https://www.thebarkumd.com/voices/2021/11/3/missing-and-murdered-understanding-why-indigenous-women-are-murdered-and-go-missing-at-higher-rates-than-other-populations.
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