MMIW Day 2023
May 5th is the official MMIW (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women) Day. On this day we wear red. Red is the official color of the #MMIW campaign, but it goes deep and has significant meaning. In many tribes, the color red is known to be the only color that Spirit sees. It is hoped that by wearing red, we can call back the missing spirits of our women and children so we can lay them to rest. A red hand over the mouth has become the symbol of the MMIW movement. It stands for all the missing sisters whose voices are not heard. It stands for the silence of the media and law enforcement in the midst of this crisis. It stands for the oppression and subjugation of Native women who are now rising up to say #NoMoreStolenSisters.
● Indigenous women (girls +) are murdered 10x higher than all other ethnicities.
● Murder is the 3rd leading cause of death for Indigenous Women and 3 times higher than Anglo-American women. (CDC)
● More than 4 out of 5 Indigenous Women have experienced violence (84.3%) (National Institute of Justice Report)
● More than half of Indigenous Women experience sexual violence (56.1%) and are 2.5 times more likely to experience sexual assault than all other American women.
● More than half of Indigenous Women have been physically abused by their intimate partners (55.5%)
● Nearly half of Indigenous Women have been stalked in their lifetime (48.8%).
● Indigenous Women are 2.5 times more likely to experience violence compared to all other races.
● Indigenous Women are also 2 times more likely to be raped than all other races, with 1 in 3 reporting having been raped in her lifetime. 86% of the offenses are committed by non-Native men. These perpetrators exploit gaps in tribal jurisdictional authority and target Native women as ‘safe victims’.
