Sunday, May 5 has been designated as “Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Awareness Day” by both the US and Canada. The 2023 Synod of the MCNP called the church to recognize this day and to consider ways, in consultation with those impacted, to act to support Indigenous individuals, families, and communities. (Church and Society, Third Partial Report, Resolve 11.)
Please take the opportunity on May 5 to raise awareness of horrific and unrelenting violence against Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit people by providing the information below. Please include The Awareness Day for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, all who are impacted, an end to the violence, and means of help and healing in your prayers.
The symbol used to indicate solidarity with missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls is a red handprint usually painted across the face, to symbolize voices that go unheard and that have been silenced by violence. One step that can be taken is to encourage members of your congregation to wear red on Sunday, May 5, and to invite those who do to post a photo of themselves on social media using #MMIW or #NoMoreStolenSisters! To learn more, and for additional actions that may be taken, visit https://www.culturalsurvival.org/news/7-actions-take-national-day-awareness-mmiwg or https://www.nativehope.org/missing-and-murdered-indigenous-women-mmiw.
The following statistics were included in the legislation passed by the 2023 MCNP Synod:
- Native American women on reservations face murder and sexual assault rates more than ten times higher than the national average (U.S. Department of Justice)
- Homicide is the third-leading cause of death for American Indian and Alaska Native women 10 to 24 years of age, and the fifth-leading cause of death for American Indian and Alaska Native women between 24 and 34 years of age (Center for Disease Control and Prevention)
- In 2016, though there were 5,712 reports of missing American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls, the federal missing person database only logged 116 cases (National Crime Information Center.)
- In Canada, Indigenous women and girls are at least six times more likely to be murdered than other women and girls. (Amnesty International)
We express our gratitude to members of the Morongo Congregation for the videos to be available on the MCNP’s social media. Please use and share these widely. For additional resources, visit:
https://www.amnesty.ca/what-we-do/no-more-stolen-sisters/
Thank you for raising awareness of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, a first step to changes that will save and protect the lives of Indigenous women. For additional information please contact Sue Koenig, Director of Racial Justice and Healing at [email protected].
