Newhouse Leads Resolution Designating National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) and Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández (D-NM) introduced a bipartisan resolution in the House of Representatives to designate May 5, 2025, as the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
"The rate of missing and murdered indigenous women cases increase every year, and impacted communities continue to suffer," said Rep. Newhouse. "Designating May 5 as National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls sheds light on this crisis and serves as a reminder that we must better equip our native communities to solve these devastating cases. I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for joining me on this important issue."
"The U.S. can no longer look away from the pain and injustice endured by Indigenous families whose mothers, daughters, sisters, and relatives have gone missing or been murdered," said Rep. Leger Fernández. "Honoring the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls is one way to bring national attention to this issue. As a nation, we have a moral responsibility to confront this crisis head-on—to honor the lives lost, support the families who continue to grieve, and make sure that Native communities have the resources, authority, and protection they deserve. We must uplift Native voices and invest in services for Indian Country so there are no more stolen sisters and no more stolen joy."
Newhouse and Leger Fernández were joined by Reps. Tom Cole (R-OK), Dusty Johnson (R-SD), Jared Huffman (D-CA), Ed Case (D-HI), María Elvira Salazar (R-FL), Kim Schrier (D-WA), Greg Stanton (D-AZ), Stephanie Bice (R-OK), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Adrian Smith (R-NE), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), and Mark Pocan (D-WI) in introducing the resolution.
Rep. Tom Cole, Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee said, "For far too long, dangerous predators have disproportionately targeted indigenous women and girls, with violence against Native women greatly exceeding the national average. Ending this crisis starts with awareness. Thanks to the leadership of Rep. Newhouse, this legislation designates May 5th as the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, which is critical to increasing awareness of this issue and stopping this terrible crisis once and for all."
Rep. Jared Huffman, Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Committee said, "Although the epidemic of missing Indigenous people spans the country, these tragic crimes are often ignored. Tribal members in my district and across the country have been putting in the hard work on the ground to protect their people – but they can’t do it all alone. We have to shine a light on this crisis, and by designating May 5th as the National Day of Awareness for MMIW, we can call attention to this pervasive issue and get tribal communities the focus and support needed to end this injustice."
Rep. Dusty Johnson said, "Every life is worth fighting for. I've worked with South Dakota's tribal leaders to advocate for additional tribal law enforcement resources and it’s important more than ever to continue focused efforts on our missing and murdered indigenous women and girls. According to the South Dakota Missing Persons Clearinghouse, nearly 60% of all missing persons in South Dakota are Native American. I'm grateful to partner with Rep. Newhouse to bring hope and healing to families across South Dakota."
Rep. Greg Stanton said, "It’s one of our nation’s greatest shames that such violence is perpetuated against Native communities, especially Native women, to this day. By designating May 5 as a National Day of Awareness for MMIP, this resolution honors the many victims and their families while calling on us all to finally end this crisis of violence. I’m proud to reaffirm my commitment to ensuring Native communities have all the necessary resources to seek justice and healing."
Rep. Stephanie Bice said, "I strongly express my support for the designation of May 5th as the ‘National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls’. Not only are Indigenous people disproportionately the victims of violence in America, but also in Oklahoma. A study by the Urban Indian Health Institute rated Oklahoma in the top 10 states for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. I’m grateful that my colleague, Congressman Dan Newhouse, introduced this critical legislation. We must continue working to bring awareness to these heartbreaking tragedies so that affected families may find justice."
Rep. Adrian Smith said, "The prevalence of violence against indigenous women and girls is a tragedy which calls for action. I thank Rep. Newhouse for his leadership on this resolution honoring survivors, families, and those we have lost."
The legislation is supported by stakeholder groups including the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, the Tulalip Tribes, the National Indigenous Women's Resource Center, and the National Congress of American Indians.
Gerald Lewis, Chairman, Yakama Nation Tribal Council said, "The Yakama Nation appreciates Congressman Newhouse continuously acknowledging the ongoing crisis of violence against Indigenous people throughout Indian Country. The hardship of having missing and murdered relatives at a regular and increasing rate causes distress for the Yakama Nation and other tribal nations with significant land bases; many times, we lack resources and support to adequately patrol our homelands. Preventative action could assist in combating this issue that continues to engrain generational trauma into our people. To accomplish this, support must be provided to tribal nations' public safety, law enforcement, and justice systems through legislative action and collaboration from all governing bodies; no matter if they are local or federal. We can work together to bring our people home."
Charlene Tillequots, Yakama Nation Tribal Council, Chair for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples Committee said, "Indian Country has dealt with crime and harm against our people for far too long. Today many families grieve the loss of a loved one, with no justice or closure to comfort them, because of shortfalls that obstruct initiatives that could combat this issue. The Yakama Nation and tribes across the United States desperately need resources for safety measures and justice services to protect the communities on our Reservation - this help includes recognition that this needs to be addressed immediately. Congressman Newhouse's gesture, this resolution, addresses an impediment to Tribal sovereignty and public safety work we face today. We hope to continue making progress for future generations to be in a safer place than we are now - we're simply aiming, at the very least, to have our family members make it home each night."
Jarred-Michael Erickson, Chairman, Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation said, "The Colville Tribes appreciates and supports the efforts of Rep. Dan Newhouse and others in Congress to keep attention focused on the problem of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls. Despite receiving greater attention in recent years, the problem persists as Native women continue to suffer violence at rates much higher than the national average. The Colville Tribes supports the designation of a ‘National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls’ and continues to support a federal MMIW law enforcement presence specifically dedicated to serve the Pacific Northwest."
Teri Gobin, Chair, Tulalip Tribes said, "Every Native community in the nation has been touched by the epidemic of violence against Native people. Four out of five native women have experienced violence and more than half have been sexually assaulted by their intimate partners. Shining a light on the harm our people have experienced is a step towards fixing it. We urge our lawmakers to continue to fight for more resources for Tribes to create safe communities, including recognizing tribal court jurisdiction over cases that involve violence against our people. On May 5th, we will remember the lives taken too soon. We will drum and sing and cry together. We will pray and advocate. Together, we will build a future with no more stolen sisters"
Lucy R. Simpson, Executive Director, The National Indigenous Women's Resource Center said, "The National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls serves as a commitment to honor those we have lost, amplify the voices of survivors and families, and address this crisis of violence directly. The National Indigenous Women's Resource Center (NIWRC) sincerely thanks Representatives Newhouse and Leger Fernandez for their ongoing efforts to end violence against Indigenous people. Together, we must continue to seek justice, healing, and meaningful change."
Shannon Holsey, President, NCAI Violence Against Women Task Force Co-Chair said, “May 5th is more than a day of remembrance—it is a call to action. The epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous women and relatives is a direct result of systems that have failed to protect us for generations. To end this crisis, we must continue to fully implement the tribal provisions of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and return authority to Tribal Nations to safeguard our people. We must act with urgency and unity to strengthen tribal jurisdiction and invest in Indigenous-led solutions. This starts with strengthening tribal sovereignty, restoring the rightful authority of Tribal Nations to protect our people, and honoring the sacredness of every life stolen. Every Native relative deserves to be safe, seen, and honored.”
Full resolution text here.
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