Newhouse Designates National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls
Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) and Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) led the introduction of a resolution to designate May 5, 2024 as the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
“Indigenous women and girls continue to face heightened violence that is tearing families and communities apart,” said Rep. Newhouse.
“As of March, Washington State has over 100 open cases for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. We must ensure these heinous crimes no longer go under or un-reported. Designating May 5, 2024 as National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls will help raise national awareness to this crisis and. serve as a reminder in Congress that we need to be doing more to support our threatened native communities.”
“Indigenous women and girls deserve the same recognition, protection, and respect under our laws as any other American, but shamefully that is still not the case,” said U.S. House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.).
“The designation of May 5th as the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls stands as a reminder to honor those we have lost and to redouble our efforts to give tribal communities the resources they need to address this crisis. I want to thank Congressman Newhouse for his leadership on this resolution and for ensuring that justice for Indigenous women and girls remains a national pursuit.”
He was joined by Reps. Stephanie Bice (R-OK), Tom Cole (R-OK), David Joyce (R-OH), Dusty Johnson (R-SD), Doug LaMalfa (R-CA), Teresa Leger Fernandez (R-NM), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Maria Salazar (R-FL), Chris Stewart (R-UT), Adrian Smith (R-NE), Pete Stauber (R-MN), Matthew Rosendale (R-MT), Kelly Armstrong (R-ND), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Julia Brownley (D-CA), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Sharice Davids (D-KS), Suzan DelBene (D-WA), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Val T. Hoyle (D-OR), Jared Huffman (D-CA), Derek Kilmer (D-WA), Doris Matsui (D-CA), Betsy McCollum (D-MN), Gwen Moore (D-WI), Eleanor Norton Holmes (D-DC), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Katie Porter (D-CA), Mark Pocan (D-WI), Kim Schrier (D-WA), Adam Smith (D-WA), Greg Stanton (D-AZ), Melanie Stansbury (D-NM), and Jill Tokuda (D-HI).
The resolution is also supported by the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), Midwest Alliance of Sovereign Tribes, Yakama Nation, Seattle Indian Health Board, Urban Indian Health Institute, National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center, and Muscogee (Creek) Nation.
“For too long, our missing and murdered relatives have not been shown that anyone cares for their well-being outside of our communities,” said Abigail Echo-Hawk (Pawnee) executive vice president of Seattle Indian Health Board and director of Urban Indian Health Institute.
“There is so much work that needs to be done to address centuries of genocide on our people, but it needs to start with acknowledgment from others. Representative Newhouse’s resolution to establish a national day of awareness for MMIWG is the type of action we are grateful for and expect to see from elected officials.”
"On this day, we honor Hanna Harris and the countless American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women and girls who have been murdered or have gone missing, along with their families and communities who continue to seek justice and healing. The National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center (NIWRC) applauds the designation of May 5, 2024, as the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Native Women and Girls, and we thank Representatives Newhouse and Grijalva for their ongoing efforts to bring attention to this crisis. We call on the world to organize for systemic change at all levels to put an end to this violence." - Lucy R. Simpson, Executive Director, National Indigenous Women's Resource Center (NIWRC)
"The Colville Tribes appreciates and supports the efforts of Rep. Dan Newhouse, Ranking Member Grijalva, and others in Congress to keep attention focused on the problem of missing and murdered indigenous women. Despite receiving greater attention in recent years, the problem persists as Native women still suffer violence at rates much higher than the national average. The Colville Tribes would welcome a MMIW law enforcement presence specifically dedicated to serve the Pacific Northwest." - Jarred-Michael Erickson, Chairman, Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation
“The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) commends the efforts taken today by Representative Dan Newhouse and other members of the House of Representatives to recognize May 5, 2024, as the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) and Girls,” said NCAI Violence Against Women Task Force co-chair Shannon Holsey.
“The American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) rates of murder, rape, and violent crime are all higher than the national average and AI/AN women are the most frequent victims. These are not just empty statistics. These are the cries of mothers who have lost their daughters, children who have lost their mothers, and families torn apart by senseless violence. This is the pain that we carry with us every day— the burden that we refuse to let our sisters bear alone. We must come together, united in our grief and our determination, and take action. We need new collaborations to engage with Native women, families, communities, and governments to remove systemic barriers and identify solutions centered on women’s health and safety.”
“Awareness. Remembrance. Action. Today’s Resolution calls on all of us to be aware of the MMIP crisis where families mourn for missing relatives without closure. It is a call to action for our Leaders, law enforcement, and our judicial system to take necessary action every day throughout the year to take action to stop the violent crime and human trafficking that traumatize our communities. The Yakama Nation appreciates Congressman Newhouse's continued work to bring attention to and address the crisis of violence against Indigenous people.” - Councilwoman Charlene Tillequots, Yakama Tribal Council, Chair for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples Committee
“For many years, our Reservation communities have faced grave threats, including MMIP, violent crime, and drug-related overdoses that impact Native American communities at some of the highest rates of incidence across the Nation. This Resolution renews moral clarity that our leaders must invest in stronger communities. The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington State appointed the first Department of Justice Prosecutor in the country dedicated to the resolution of MMIP cases. Commitment and action like this is the best strategy to meaningfully address so many of the threats that disproportionately harm our Reservation communities. We thank Congressman Newhouse for being a strong partner on this critical issue.” - Chairman Gerald Lewis, Yakama Tribal Council
Click here for the full text of the resolution.
###