Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women: A National Crisis

The incidence of violence against Native and Indigenous women in North America has reached epidemic levels. In the U.S., Indigenous women are twice as likely to experience violence than any other demographic, and one in three is sexually assaulted during her lifetime.

Increased levels of poverty and homelessness, along with racism, sexism, and the legacy of imperialism, contribute to Indigenous women’s victimization. Meanwhile a lack of consequences for those who commit this violence has likely emboldened the perpetrators.

To mark the National Week of Action for MMIW (May 1-7, 2023) NEA is proud to reassert our support of the grassroots effort of Indigenous people and their allies to:

• Raise awareness of this ongoing crisis
• Support the families of victims
• Advocate for aggressive prosecution of offenders
• Push for better representation of Indigenous women in local and national government

“Indigenous women and girls across the Nation are intensely vulnerable to violence—so much so that murder is the third leading cause of death in native women.”

Rosalie Fish, MMIW activist