Maxwell Museum Blog
PART 1: National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2-Spirit, May 5,2025
The National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (Girls, and 2-Spirit Individuals) and Relatives attempts to raise awareness of the ongoing crisis of violence against Native women, girls, and 2-Spirit individuals. It is a day to honor the memory of Indigenous persons who were murdered and remember and honor those that are still missing, a day to stand in solidarity with Native families and communities by recognizing their grief and helping to amplify their calls for justice.
The National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives honors Hanna Harris, a 21-year-old member of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, who went missing in 2013 and was later found murdered. The National Day of Awareness falls on Hanna’s birthday, May 5th.
The MMIWG2S Crisis
The MMIWG2S crisis stems from centuries of systemic violence, colonialism, and infringement on Indigenous sovereignty. It is the legacy left by government policies of forced removal, land seizures, and systemized violence towards Native communities. Understanding the influences of the past in the present is essential to addressing the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous women, girls, and 2-Spirit individuals.
Despite Native Americans making up only a small percentage of the total US population, the rates of murder, rape, and violent crime against Native individuals are all higher than national averages. Per the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center, in some locations, Native women are victims of murder at rates 10 times the national average. Many ongoing issues contribute to the disproportionate number of Native women, girls, and 2-Spirit individuals that are missing or being murdered, including complex jurisdictional issues, the centuries-long history of institutionalized racism, and inaccurate and suppressed reporting (Castano, 2024).
Federally recognized Tribes are independent nations, with inalienable sovereign powers. However, this sovereignty is often infringed upon by state and federal agencies. As a result, the application of laws and regulations relating to violent crimes is not consistent, and often depends on where the crime was committed and by whom. For example, a 1978 Supreme Court decision, that stills stands today, prevents Tribal authorities from arresting non-Native men who murder Native women on Tribal lands (Oliphant v. Suquamish Indian Tribe, 435 U.S. 191 (1978)). These laws undermine tribal sovereignty creating confusion and inefficiency when responding to the murder or abduction of a Native woman. They also create loopholes in the legal system allowing perpetrators to avoid justice.
Negative stereotypes and policies of cultural suppression also contribute to the lack of investigation and closure of Native missing and murdered persons cases. The history of hyper-sexualization and dehumanization of Native women has directly influenced the disproportionate number of missing and murdered Native women and girls (Chakasim, Neegahnii Madeline. Sexualization of Indigenous women through cultural appropriation and media). Images portraying Native women as “characters” for Halloween costumes, mascots, or symbols of sexual submission and conquest serve to justify violence against Native women (Simpson, Caysi. The Safety of Native American Women).
Research shows that Tribal community members often do not report missing cases to outside law enforcement entities due to general mistrust, and the belief that outside law enforcement agencies will not respond adequately or at all (Castano, 2024). Therefore, data collection on cases of missing Native persons is incomplete because of inaccurate reporting or under reporting. In 2023, a federal commission investigating violence and its outcomes against Native communities found that the federal government has failed to fulfill its responsibilities to Tribal nations and regularly failed to prevent and respond to reported violence against Native peoples. The commission also stated that historic policies separating Native peoples from their culture and lands have created public safety and justice barriers in Tribal communities. The commission’s findings have been removed from government websites by the Trump Administration. They can be found here.
On this National Day of Awareness and Week of Action, we stand with Native families and communities in advocating for legislative reform, Tribal sovereignty, policy change related to MMIW issues, and increased attention to communities that are continually marginalized by state and federal governments.
By Ashley Burch, Collection Manager, Laboratory of Human Osteology and Ash Boydston-Schmidt, NAGPRA Coordinator
In Part 2 of this blog, learn how the Maxwell Museum’s Laboratory of Human Osteology works to support the identification and return of murdered and missing Indigenous people to their families.
REFERENCES
NOW Honors the National Day of Awareness for our Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives (MMIWR). https://now.org/media-center/press-release/now-honors-the-national-day-of-awareness-for-our-missing-murdered-indigenous-women-and-relatives-mmiwr/ . Accessed 1 May 2025.
National Indigenous Women's Resource Center. Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives (MMIWR). https://www.niwrc.org/mmiwr-awareness . Accessed 1 May 2025.
Castano, Danielle. The Disappearance of Native American Women in the U.S. Human Rights Research Center. 13 June 2024. https://www.humanrightsresearch.org/post/the-disappearance-of-native-american-women-in-the-u-s . Accessed 1 May 2025.
CHakasim, Neegahnii Madeline. Sexualization of Indigenous women through cultural appropriation and media. The Indigenous Foundation. https://www.theindigenousfoundation.org/articles/sexualization-of-indigenous-women . Accessed 3 May 2025.
Simpson, Caysi. The Safety of Native American Women. Sutori. https://www.sutori.com/en/story/the-safety-of-native-american-women—9nQ7Y7ymy9FPo22FPdNKhYPR . Accessed 6 May 2025.