StrongHearts Native Helpline encourages wearing the color red in honor of the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) on May 5, 2024.
“An annual awareness day for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls calls attention to epidemic levels of violence against Native Americans and Alaska Natives,” said CEO Lori Jump, StrongHearts Native Helpline. “We support raising awareness to ensure that our missing and murdered relatives are not forgotten and the future of our young ones can be spared this crisis.”
Red Calls To The Ancestors
It has been said that red is a color that transcends the physical world and calls to the ancestors in the spirit world. For ceremony and pow-wow, Native Americans dressed their children in red as an introduction to the ancestors – calling upon them as guardians to the young. However, the color red had other uses and symbolic meanings that differ among Indigenous tribes in North America. On May 5th, the role of red is being used to call attention to the invisible – missing and murdered.
A Crack in the Landscape of Justice
Native Americans know that there is a crack in the landscape of justice. The underlying issue of not having jurisdictional authority over non-Natives living on Native-owned land sends a powerful message of being untouchable. It’s a flaw in the judicial system that appears to be rigged against Native women and in favor of non-Native men – a gaping loophole that has left thousands of survivors without access to justice and healing.
Topping a long list of reasons why Tribal law enforcement officials are unable to fully respond to this crisis includes lack of adequate staff and funding but the crux of this crisis points to complex jurisdictional issues impacting Tribal Nations and their citizens.
Startling Statistics
In some counties, Native women are being murdered at a rate ten times higher than other ethnicities. These higher rates of violence against Native American women are in no small part due to federal law limiting tribal court’s jurisdiction to criminally prosecute non-Native people who commit crimes on tribal lands.
“In most cases, Tribal courts do not have jurisdiction over non-Natives who commit crimes against Native people,” Jump explained. “This is where the criminal justice system largely fails to protect Native women and girls and jurisdictional gaps allow perpetrators to commit crimes on tribal land with impunity.”
According to the National Crime Information Center, 5,712 American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls were reported missing in 2016 alone, but only 116 of those cases were logged with the Department of Justice. Additionally, in a study of the National Institute of Justice, it was found that 84 percent of Native women experience violence in their lifetimes, and 56 percent experience sexual violence.
The issue of our missing and murdered Indigenous relatives is not a new one. Without public awareness or media attention, this crisis will continue to afflict Tribal communities. This is especially true in locations where the extractive industry (mining, oil, coal, gold and other minerals) has set up “man camps” (temporary housing for transient workers) located near Tribal land and resources.
“If not for complex court jurisdiction issues between Tribal, state and federal governments and a severe lack of resources, Native people might have a clearer path toward justice,” said Jump. “Instead, our relatives face jurisdictional issues that not only protects the perpetrator, it emboldens them.”
High rates of violence against Native Americans and Alaska Natives, coupled with a severe lack of resources make the services offered through StrongHearts Native Helpline even more critical.
“Our relatives need and deserve a culturally appropriate helpline that understands the issues of domestic and sexual violence and understands the jurisdictional issues which are such an important part of that equation,” concluded Jump. “Our relatives deserve opportunities for healing and StrongHearts is committed to helping them find it,” concluded Jump.
StrongHearts Native Helpline serves all individuals who reach out for their services regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, or any other factor protected by local, state, or federal law. Call or text 1-844-762-8483 or chat online at strongheartshelpline.org.
MMIP.The
Democratic National Committee (DNC) announced today it will launch a new
print and digital awareness campaign to commemorate the upcoming
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day on May 5. (WILL BE UPDATED)
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) National Day of
Recognition May 5th- Raising Awareness
The Red Sand Project Earthworks | Red Sand Project pouring red sand into sidewalk cracks highlights things we often overlook. May 5th
is recognized as the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered
Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) throughout the nation (North America).
Walk With Our Sisters to continue to raise awareness surrounding MMIWG
A walk being planned for early May is hoping to raise more awareness surrounding an ongoing national crisis.
The second annual Walk With Our Sisters is being planned by a
collective of local agencies all with a goal of raising awareness around
the emergency of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls
(MMIWG), along with boys and two-spirit people. The walk is scheduled
for Tuesday, May 7, 2024, and will begin at the Fort Frances Senior
Centre at 12:00 p.m. before making its way to the United Native
Friendship Centre (UNFC) on Scott and Mowat.
Rhonda Howells, the preservation worker with the Northwestern Ontario
Metis Child and Family Services (NWOMCFS), along with the UNFC’s
aboriginal healing and wellness worker Amanda Guimond and
Giishkaandago’Ikwe Health Services’ Memengwaawag liaison and case
manager Brandis Oliver have been planning this event with the intent to
give it even more of an impact than last year’s in order to really drive
home the message that the Rainy River District is not immune to the
realities of MMIWG.
“There had been some extended interest [following last year’s walk]
and so we’re hoping that this year is a bigger and better event,”
Howells said.
“We’ve got more partners that are on board, so we’re excited to bring
this awareness to the community. We were just talking earlier about the
woman that’s missing locally. We need to be bringing awareness to our
community. We are not exempt from this. Being a border town, it is
definitely something we have to be very conscientious of. We need to
raise or children to have a voice and we need to educate people so that
everyone is aware of it to keep everyone safe. That’s one of the reasons
why this Walk With Our Sisters is so important in our area. We are
directly impacted by it and a lot of people don’t necessarily realize
that it is right under our noses.”
Howells said that the walk is part of a movement seeking to end
violence against women and seeks to draw attention to high rates of
violence, disappearances and murders against Indigenous people in
Canada, particularly women and girls. She noted that the frequency of
this crisis is at such a level that there are few Indigenous people who
haven’t been affected by it in some fashion.
“Chances are that if you know an Indigenous person, they are related to someone who has gone missing,” she said.
“That’s how common it is.”
Guimond noted the walk will begin with a blessing by an elder from
Seine River who has been impacted by human trafficking in her family,
and whose granddaughter is making and will be dancing in a red jingle
dress for the event. Ribbons will be passed out to all participants in
the walk, who can then personalize them by writing the name of a missing
or murdered loved one, or simply something that is significant to them.
Once the walk arrives at the UNFC, the walkers will hang their ribbons
along the fence that borders the two main roadways, a bagged lunch will
provided for participants, and a special drum song by the UNFC’s women’s
hand drumming group will also be performed. Guimond said the song was
gifted to the drum group specifically for the missing and murdered
indigenous women, girls and two-spirited.
The most recent stats on MMIWG come from 2020, according to Howells,
and at that point in time it was reported that Indigenous women are up
to six times more likely to be murdered or sexually assaulted, and four
times more likely than non-Indigenous women to be victims of violence. The stats also reveal that one in three Indigenous women have been, or
will experience, rape in their lifetime, and that murder is the third
leading cause of death for Indigenous women. Considering the statistics
are now four years old, Oliver said it’s almost certain those statistics
are under-representing today’s reality.
“It’s a national emergency right now,” she said.
“The government has actually put in that it’s a national emergency
with the amount of victims that are now being found in landfills across
Canada, and how much of an issue it actually is. I don’t think the
numbers are correct, from what they put out.”
Howells said that after last year’s participant count of 156, the
organizing group set this year’s goal for 250 walk participants, and
even greater numbers in years to come. She said that the three of them
see the Walk as another opportunity to spread the word about MMIWG,
hoping that people will realize that it is something that is impacting
our region, and noted that conversation is the key to learning more and
taking action.
“We need to start that conversation so we can educate our children so that they’re not victims,” Howells said.
“We need to bring awareness so that if you do see something that
doesn’t feel quite right, there is a place for people to go. People need
to know what to do. We’ve got great people, we’ve got mental health
counsellors, they’re there and they are going to be present. If you need
support, we’ve got that support here. We encourage anyone to
participate. You don’t have to Indigenous, you don’t have to be a woman.
The more awareness that we can bring to our community, when the
traffickers come through here, if they know people are watching, maybe
it will discourage someone from being taken.”
“We want to stop that bystander effect,” Guimond added.
“People are not paying attention, they’re not calling to report
anything that they’re seeing. We really want that to come to an end
because that will help protect more people from violent situations.”
The Walk organizers also shared that in the lead-up to the event,
businesses in Fort Frances and along Scott Street are invited to
decorate their front windows with red dresses, handprints or other
similar symbols to show solidarity with the walk. Participating
businesses will be eligible for a prize for the best display.
Metis Society of Fort St. John to host first-ever Red Dress Day event
Local Journalism Initiative
The
Metis Society of Fort St. John is hosting its first-ever Red Dress Day
event, highlighting local Metis and Indigenous vendors and entrepreneurs
through an artisan market.
Metis Society board member Bailey
Copeland says the event came to fruition after the organization’s board,
elected in 2023, started discussing how to recognize the significant
day.
“We decided it would be a really good idea to bring some sort
of a public event to Fort St. John that brings awareness and helps move
us towards reconciliation,” said Copeland.
“I hope that people
will attend the event, speak to some of the vendors, maybe learn their
stories, and potentially learn who they've lost because most indigenous
people have lost somebody.”
Red Dress Day began as an art project
by Indigenous artist Jaime Black. In 2010, Black displayed an
installation at the University of Winnipeg that included red dresses
symbolizing the growing number of Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women
and Girls (MMIWG) nationwide.
“Just like the visual of the red
dress itself, [this event] provides us with an opportunity to consider
the pain and loss experienced by Indigenous people,” says Copeland.
According
to Statistics Canada, 490 Indigenous women and girls were killed
between 2009 and 2021. Of those who were murdered, 60 per cent were
First Nations, eight per cent were Inuit, and seven per cent were Métis.
Locally,
the Indigenous community can point to the disappearances of Renee
Didier and Darlyn Supernant, who were last seen in Dawson Creek in 2023.
Copeland says there is the hope that more will come involved as the date draws near.
“Bead
workers and individuals from Indigenous businesses will come and
display their products,” said Copeland. “Several Indigenous businesses
are in town, so we’re still reaching out and hoping for more sign-ups.”
The market will be available on May 5th at Festival Plaza (Fort St. John Metis Society)
She
wants the event to open up conversations between the community,
non-Indigenous and Indigenous, as people in Canada strive toward
reconciliation.
According to Copeland, she feels that listening
and sharing their stories allows non-Indigenous people to experience a
bit of what Indigenous people have lost.
“Every event that we have in the public just makes our community more culturally diverse,” said Copeland.
The market will occur from noon to 3:00 p.m. at the Festival Plaza at 96th Avenue and 100th Street in Fort St. John.
A solemn walk to remember all Missing & Murdered Indigenous
Peoples (MMIP) is happening in Red Deer on May 5, or what is known
nationally as Red Dress Day.
The walk begins at 8 a.m. with an opening ceremony at the Common Ground Garden Project (5581 45 Street).
Centuries of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples
Native American cultures, languages, lands and lives were all systematically and forcibly taken through colonization.
Our ancestors endured genocide and assimilation for more than five
centuries. Today, there is ample evidence that genocide still occurs
through the inhumane conditions on reservations, the jurisdictional
issues that prevent the prosecution of non-Native perpetrators on tribal
lands and ignoring the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW)
crisis.
The Connection to Domestic and Sexual Violence
Domestic violence isn’t a Native American tradition; it is a symptom of colonization that continues to this day.
Through
colonization, Native women were devalued by non-Native people. They
were degraded, they were attacked and raped. Acts that still continue
today. Tribal communities still experience high rates of rape and sexual
assault, largely committed by non-Native perpetrators. Native women are
sexualized in the media--in costumes, in Native American imagery and
caricatures, and in movies. Native women and men still struggle from the
effects of colonization, marginalization and assimilation and our
shared trauma. Over half of Native women, in particular, have been physically abused by an intimate partner.
StrongHearts
Native Helpline understands the issues of MMIW are related to domestic,
dating and sexual violence. We understand that missing and murdered
victims can be children, elders, Two-Spirit, men and those with
disabilities. This crisis affects all of our relatives. Survivors
deserve justice.
Research shows that women are more likely to be killed by an intimate partner (husband, boyfriend, same-sex partner, or ex) than by anyone else. Over 84% of Native women have experienced violence in their lifetime. Nationally, across all racial and ethnic groups, approximately two out of five female murder victims are killed by an intimate partner. Homicide is a leading cause of death for American Indian and Alaska Native women. Many
killings linked to domestic violence occur right after recent breakups
or during separations. Leaving an abusive relationship is the most
dangerous time for a victim of domestic violence.
Complicated
legal systems, jurisdictional confusion, and lack of resources also
leave many Native victims of violence and their families without support
or justice. Whether the violence is coming from inside the home, or
from strangers living near Tribal communities or in urban centers,
meaningful action must be taken to prevent more Native women from going
missing or being murdered.
Prevention
One way to address these issues is through culturally-appropriate domestic and sexual violence advocacy. We
need services that approach healing from an indigenous perspective –
where victims feel understood and where their unique needs as Native
people can be met.
Created
by and built to serve Tribal communities across the United States,
StrongHearts Native Helpline is here to answer that call. It is a
culturally-appropriate, anonymous, confidential and free service
dedicated to serving Native American and Alaska Native survivors and
concerned family members and friends affected by domestic, dating and
sexual violence.
Advocates are available 24/7 by texting or calling 1-844-7NATIVE (762-8483) or via online chat at strongheartshelpline.org.
Advocates can provide lifesaving tools and immediate support to enable
survivors to find safety and live lives free of abuse. StrongHearts
Native Helpline is a project of the National Indigenous Women’s Resource
Center and the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
MMIW Resources
As
a helpline dedicated to Native Americans and Alaska Natives impacted by
domestic, dating and sexual violence, StrongHearts honors our relatives
and communities impacted by MMIW and those working to end this crisis.
