For centuries diverse, rich indigenous cultures and perspectives have been shunned and seen as primitive, backward cultures by those whose cultures differed. However, these communities and cultures are far from primitive and backward. They are full of rich, unique knowledge and traditions. As Chi Luu said in What We Lose When We Lose Indigenous Knowledge, “There are many ways of seeing the world, and indigenous cultures all around it have had a long time to amass a great knowledge about how things work.” Yet indigenous people all around the world are forgotten about and face a vast number of challenges in their day-to-day lives, from impoverishment, discrimination, and poor access to education, and health services, to the continued disrespect and attempts to erase their history and culture.  

One of the many challenges of Indigenous people that I would like to focus on in this blog post is the unprecedented statistics on the number of Indigenous women who are missing/murdered. According to the National Institute of Justice, “more than four in five American Indian and Alaska Native women (84.3 percent) have experienced violence in their lifetime” from sexual violence, and stalking, to psychological aggression by an intimate partner.  Not only that but, as stated in a Department of Justice-funded study, in some places, Native American women are more than 10 times more likely than the rest of the population to be murdered. Despite these unbelievable statistics and a national movement to raise awareness of the MMIW (missing and murdered indigenous women) crisis, the federal government has yet to take any direct action.  

Rightfully so indigenous peoples are angry and frustrated at the lack of justice for their women and children. At a march in Vancouver for the 32nd annual MMIWG march back in 2023, NDP Minister Melanie Mark, the only indigenous person in the B.C. legislature, could not hold back her anger and frustration at the continued rise of MMIWG cases: “I’m sick and tired of all the people. All the people today are sick and tired. It’s not politically correct to say it, but if you want to get away with murder you kill an Indian because we don’t get justice. We need justice now! (APTN News)” 

With all this said, it is vital to consider future directions for public policy on this civic issue. As one person it is hard to make a stark difference in an issue this big, but one way you can help is by educating yourself and others on the history and violence committed against indigenous women. Share messages on social media. Donate to or volunteer with groups that provide resources and help to the MMIWG movement. Write to political representatives and urge them to support policies, legislation, and funding for the protection and safety of Indigenous women.  

Some action has been taken by both the Canadian and U.S. governments to combat this issue. In 2016 the Canadian government launched a national inquiry and by 2021 a national action plan was released. Similarly, the U.S. passed the Violence Against Women Act and Tribal Law and Order Act back in 2010 and 2013. However, many advocates believe progress is too slow and more needs to be done. Overall, even though some government action has been taken, this ongoing challenge needs sustained efforts by the government and more attention brought to it.   

• Sources:
• Violence Against American Indian and Alaska Native Women and the Criminal Justice Response: What is Known (ojp.gov) 
• Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls | Center for Native American Studies (nmu.edu) 
• Erasing Indigenous History, Then and Now | Origins (osu.edu) 
• What We Lose When We Lose Indigenous Knowledge – JSTOR Daily 
• Why do so many Native American women go missing? Congress now aiming to find out | CNN