According to the most recent report from the Centers for Disease Control, murder is the sixth leading cause of death for Indigenous women and girls between the ages of 1 and 44 in the United States. And a 2010 National Institute of Justice Research Report released in 2016 found that four out of five Indigenous women have experienced violence in their lifetimes and more than half have experienced sexual violence.
Unfortunately, the numbers of how many are missing aren’t considered reliable for a variety of reasons including that not every agency reports their details to the FBI data center. What’s clear from the numbers that are out there -- such as on NamUs, a national clearinghouse for people who have gone missing -- is that missing Alaska Natives account for nearly half of all missing Native Americans. According to the NamUs July 2022 report, out of the 772 missing Indigenous women cases, 295 are from Alaska.
No matter what the statistics show, if it’s your family member who is missing or dealing with violence in their lives – the impact is huge. The Alaska Native Women’s Resource Center has put together an action plan that focuses on awareness, prevention, and intervention strategies that can be used if a loved goes missing or dies under suspicious circumstances.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services also has a Missing and Murdered Unit dedicated to investigating unsolved missing and murder cases.
Get resources and learn how you can help in the fight to end violence against Indigenous women
The Bureau of Indian Affairs Tip Line: 1-833-560-2065
The National Sexual Assault Helpline: 1-800-656-4673 -- https://www.rainn.org/
Strong Hearts Helpline: 1-844-7NATIVE -- https://strongheartshelpline.org/
Not Our Native Daughters-- https://www.notournativedaughters.org/
Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women: https://www.csvanw.org/mmiw
Sovereign Bodies Institute: https://www.sovereign-bodies.org/
MMIW Official Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/mmiwusa/