City Council To Recognize National Day of Awareness For Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women

Press Release
Published

Wednesday, May 6, Portland City Council will issue a formal proclamation declaring May 5, 2020, as National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW). The observance is an annual, national event to acknowledge the epidemic of missing and murdered American Indian and Alaska Native women in the United States, while also raising awareness of this ongoing humanitarian crisis, and refocusing attention on issues affecting Indigenous women.

“The City of Portland recognizes that the issues of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women are not isolated to reservations or rural communities, but impact areas like the Portland metropolitan region as well,” Mayor Ted Wheeler said. “We must do all in our power to reduce these acts of violence and increase awareness of the problem.”

In the United States, violence against indigenous women has reached unprecedented levels on tribal lands, in Alaska Native villages and in urban areas such as Portland. In Oregon, Native American women face the highest rates of sexual violence of any racial group and are often targets of traffickers who move them through our city on the human trafficking corridor that runs along I-5; this also includes a high number of Native women who are here from other states.

“The rates at which Native women experience violence are staggering – these aren’t just numbers, they’re people,” Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty said. “I’m appreciative of the many community partners whose efforts have gone towards bringing this long-overlooked issue to the public’s attention, and I encourage Portlanders to follow along and find ways to act in solidarity with the Native community.”

Though available data is limited, the number of missing and murdered American Indian and Alaska Native women, and the lack of a diligent and adequate response from law enforcement is extremely alarming.

“4 out of 5 Native women are affected by violence today,” Commissioner Amanda Fritz said. “I thank the City’s tribal relations director and our community partners for highlighting this issue and for their hard work in providing opportunities for Portlanders to become aware of this matter. I encourage folks to tune into this week’s awareness events and learn how they too can stand in solidarity with our Native community.”

We support Representative Tawna Sanchez’s work on this human rights issue at the state level and call upon our congressional delegation to support pending legislation that seeks to address the lack of adequate federal response to crimes against American Indian and Alaska Native people. Locally, we urge Portlanders to wear red every 5th of the month to show solidarity and to raise awareness about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women.

“Too many Portlanders are unaware of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women movement and the gravity of the issue—it is vital to recognize how Native women are disproportionately affected by violence,” Commissioner Chloe Eudaly said. “I am grateful for the work that the City’s Tribal Relations Director Laura John and other community groups have done to highlight Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women’s Day, and for Rep. Tawna Sanchez’s work on the state level to combat violence against Native women. Savanna’s Act has been stuck in Congress for far too long— we need to move forward immediately to track victims’ tribal enrollment/affiliation along with more standardized protocols for violence against indigenous women to better combat this crisis.”

Laura John, Director of Tribal Relations for the City of Portland, worked closely with the Institute for Tribal Government and the Hatfield School of Government at Portland State University, Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods, Future Generations Collaborative, Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board, Native American Youth and Family Center , Native Wellness Institute, and community members to write the proclamation and coordinate a week-long awareness campaign.

The campaign includes the #MMIWPDX Photo Challenge and daily events, all held on Facebook Live and ZOOM, a schedule of the events can be found here.

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