CHENEY, Wash. — For nearly a decade now, May 5 has been recognized as National Missing and Murdered Indigenous People’s (MMIP) Day or Missing Murdered Indigenous Women’s (MMIW) day.
In solidarity, activists wear red to highlight the unique violence against Natives, particularly Native women.
“I know that almost every single Native person has a family member or friend that has gone missing or has been murdered,” Isaac Tonasket said. He wrote a song about the issue and presented it at an Eastern Washington University MMIP Day event this Sunday.
Unfortunately, his anecdote is supported by evidence. The United States Bureau of Indian Affairs estimates rates of violence up to 10 times the national average in Native communities. A 2016 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study found homicide to be the third-leading cause of death for Native women aged 1-19. The CDC also reported that 43.7% of Native women have been raped sometime in their life.
While the awareness is starting to spread, with the US and many state governments officially recognizing MMIP day, the focus turns towards addressing the issues.
“It’s going to take a collective,” War Bear, president of the EWU Native American Student Association said. “We are the collective and we have a lot of work to do still.”
Washington State Patrol currently has a list of known missing Indigenous persons on their website.
