Movement draws attention to missing and murdered Indigenous women

Another epidemic is unfolding. Not a viral disease, but an outbreak that is nonetheless a real sickness killing women in the community.

The trending hashtag to bring awareness to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women [#MMIW] really only scratches the surface of a bloody phenomenon.

Indigenous women are violently killed at a rate of more than six to 10 times the national average. This shocking statistic is nothing new. Rape and murder have been a fixture of the Native American experience ever since European colonizers arrived.

In each year of his first term, President Joe Biden has issued public statements recognizing May 5 as Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day. The recognition from the highest office in the land is bolstered by the Not Invisible Act, a bill passed in 2020 which establishes an advisory commission of survivors and family members to address missing and murdered Native Americans.

Now, the North Coast’s Rep. Jared Huffman, along with two other congresspersons, has introduced a resolution calling for the permanent designation of May 5 as the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

...

For complete article, please visit source link below. 

By:  Michael Giotis
Source: Bohemian

• Print
• Email
• Tweet