Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) Awareness Month

"Nationwide, the voices of Indigenous people have united to raise awareness of missing and murdered Indigenous woman and girls (MMIWG). Though awareness of the crisis is growing, data on the realities of this violence is scarce.

"The National Crime Information Center reports that, in 2016, there were 5,712 reports of missing American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls, though the US Department of Justice’s federal missing persons database, NamUs, only logged 116 cases. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that murder is the third-leading cause of death among American Indian and Alaska Native women and that rates of violence on reservations can be up to ten times higher than the national average. However, no research has been done on rates of such violence among American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls aged 10–24 living in urban areas despite the fact that approximately 71% of American Indian and Alaska Natives live in urban areas."

Urban Indian Health Institute. (2018, November 14). Missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. [Report.] https://www.uihi.org/download/missing-and-murdered-indigenous-women-girls/

To draw attention to this issue, numerous organizations have called on people to take action throughout May, which is designated as Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Awareness Month.

For example:

"The National Partners Work Group on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) and the MMIW Family Advisors are organizing a National Week of Action (May 1 - May 7, 2023) to call the nation and the world to action in honor of missing and murdered Indigenous women."

National Indigenous Women's Resource Center. (2023, March 16). 2023 national week of action for MMIW. https://www.niwrc.org/mmiwnatlweek23

Glossary of Terms and Hashtags

#MMIW: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women

#MMIR: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives

#MMIP: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons

#MMIP: Missing and Murdered Indigenous People

#MMIWG: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls

#MMIWG2S: Missing Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit

#MMIWG2ST: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, Two Spirit, and Transgender

Land Acknowledgement

Buffalo State University acknowledges that the college is situated within the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, including the Seneca, Tuscarora, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, and Mohawk nations, and of their Indigenous relations and neighbors, the Erie and the Wenro. We hope to demonstrate respect for the treaties that were made on these territories and we pledge to work toward partnership with a spirit of collaboration with our current Indigenous neighbors, the Seneca and Tuscaroras.

Resources at Buffalo State University

Sources

This guide has benefited from the work of Tristin Salter, as well as from materials previously gathered and organized by librarians at a variety of institutions.