Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls

The “Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls” report by the Urban Indian Health Institute provides a snapshot of data from 71 urban cities in the United States about violence against American Indian and Alaska Native women.

The report addresses the data crisis noting “The National Crime Information Center reports that, in 2016, there were 5,712 reports of missing American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls, though the US Department of Justice’s federal missing persons database, NamUs, only logged 116 cases.”

In addition to describing issues with collecting and reporting data, the report includes discussion and recommendations.

The report concludes:

The lack of good data and the resulting lack of understanding about the violence perpetrated against urban American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls is appalling and adds to the historical and ongoing trauma American Indian and Alaska Native people have experienced for generations.

But the resilience of American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls has sustained our communities for generation after generation. As the life bearers of our communities, they have been integral to holding strong our culture and traditional practices.

Bringing to light the stories of these women through data is an integral part of moving toward meaningful change that ends this epidemic of violence.

UIHI is taking huge steps to decolonize data by reclaiming the Indigenous values of data collection, analysis, and research, for Indigenous people, by Indigenous people.

Our lives depend on it.