Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and How to Help

When a Native woman goes missing, her family often spends the first days not searching but arguing: with a police department that says to wait, with a tribal office that lacks jurisdiction, with a database that never logs her name. The crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women is not only about violence. It is about a system that loses track of the people it is supposed to protect, and about the families and advocates who refuse to let that happen.

If you want to help but are not sure where to start, this is a practical guide. It covers what the numbers show, why cases fall through the cracks, and what an ordinary person can do that actually makes a difference.

What the data on missing and murdered Indigenous women shows

Accurate numbers are hard to find, and that is part of the problem. Still, the studies we have point the same way.

• In 2016, the FBI's National Crime Information Center logged 5,712 reports of missing American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls. The federal missing persons database NamUs recorded only 116 of them.
• A 2018 report by the Urban Indian Health Institute, a Seattle-based tribal epidemiology center, found 506 cases of missing and murdered Native women and girls in just 71 US cities. Many had never appeared in police records or news coverage.
• Justice Department research has found that on some reservations, Native women are murdered at rates more than ten times the national average.
• In Canada, the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls published its final report in June 2019, with 231 Calls for Justice directed at governments, police, media and the public.

Behind each number is a family who often had to do the work of investigators themselves: printing flyers, organising searches and calling reporters to get a single story written.

Why so many cases fall through the cracks

Several failures stack on top of one another.

Jurisdiction

On many reservations, who investigates depends on who the victim is, who the suspect is, and where exactly the crime took place. Tribal police, county sheriffs, state troopers and the FBI may each have a piece of the case. For decades, federal law also limited tribes' power to prosecute non-Native people, which left a gap that offenders understood well. The Violence Against Women Act reauthorisations in 2013 and 2022 restored some of that power for certain crimes, but the patchwork remains.

Misclassification

Native women are often recorded as white, Hispanic or "other" in police reports and death certificates. That hides cases from any count based on race and makes patterns invisible.

Delays

Families still report being told to wait 24 or 48 hours before a missing persons report is taken, even though no such rule exists in most places. The first two days are often the most important for finding someone.

These failures did not appear from nowhere. They follow a long history of broken promises and imposed systems, which we cover in how the treaty system was broken.

What has changed in law and policy

Pressure from families and grassroots groups has produced real, if partial, change.

• Savanna's Act, signed in October 2020 and named for Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind, requires the Justice Department to improve data collection and create guidelines for responding to cases involving Native people.
• The Not Invisible Act, signed the same month, created a joint commission of federal officials and tribal leaders to recommend ways to reduce violence.
• Several states, including Washington, Minnesota and California, have set up task forces or dedicated MMIW offices, and some now issue alerts specifically for missing Indigenous people.
• May 5 is recognised in the United States as a National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. The date marks the birthday of Hanna Harris, a Northern Cheyenne woman murdered in 2013.

Why wearing red is not enough

The red dress has become the movement's most powerful symbol, beginning with the REDress Project by Metis artist Jaime Black, who hung empty red dresses in public spaces to mark women who were gone. The red handprint across the mouth stands for the voices silenced. Both matter.

But here is where I push back on how many allies take part. Posting a red handprint once a year and sharing every missing person flyer that crosses your feed can feel like action without being action. Unverified posts sometimes spread wrong details, outdated photos or cases already resolved, which adds pain for families. Some posts are even scams that collect donations for people who do not exist.

A better rule is to share flyers from the family, a tribal office or a recognised advocacy organisation, and to check the date before you hit share. Then put your energy into something that lasts past the day: a local campaign, a donation, a letter to an official, a volunteer shift.

How to help in practical ways

1. Learn the local picture. Find out if your state or province has an MMIW task force and read its latest report. Many are public and short.
2. Support Native-led groups. Grassroots organisations run search teams, family support and court accompaniment. Monthly donations of even 10 or 20 dollars help them plan.
3. Push for data. Ask your police department and coroner how they record race and tribal affiliation. Public questions at council meetings get attention.
4. Watch the media. When a Native woman goes missing in your area and coverage is thin, contact local outlets. Coverage helps searches.
5. Show up on May 5. Attend a walk, vigil or teach-in organised by Native people, and listen more than you speak. If you organise campus or community events, our guide to planning a Native American Heritage Month event covers working with tribal partners respectfully.

Movements like this one have deep roots in earlier fights for land, water and sovereignty. The organising lessons from the Standing Rock movement apply directly: lead with the people most affected, and stay long after the cameras leave.

Frequently asked questions

What does MMIW stand for?

MMIW stands for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. Many groups use MMIWG to include girls, or MMIWG2S to include Two-Spirit people, and some use MMIR for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives to include men and boys.

Why is the red dress a symbol of MMIW?

The red dress comes from the REDress Project by Metis artist Jaime Black, who displayed empty red dresses to represent missing and murdered women. Red is described by many Indigenous people as a colour that spirits can see, so it calls the missing home.

When is MMIW Awareness Day?

In the United States, the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls is May 5. In Canada, many communities hold vigils on October 4, known as Sisters in Spirit Day.