MMIWC
The issue of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Children is a deeply concerning crisis that affects Indigenous communities across North America.
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The movement brings awareness to an issue which did not previously receive mainstream attention. MMIW activism is made up of art, protest, pushing for legislation, and building accurate databases and stronger communities.
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These cases often go unnoticed, uninvestigated, or unreported, leaving families and communities in anguish. Addressing this crisis is essential, not only to seek justice for the victims but also raise awareness and work towards preventing further tragedies.
What We Know...
Murdered & Missing Indigenous Women
The majority of these murders are committed by non- Native people on Native - owned land. The lack of communication combined with jurisdictional issues between state, local, federal, and tribal law enforcement, make it nearly impossible to begin the investigative process.
Statistics
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Homicide is the 3rd leading cause of death for Indigenous Women .
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Indigenous Women (girls +) murdered 10x higher than all other ethnicities.
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More than 4 out of 5 Indigenous Women have experienced violence.
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More than half Indigenous Women have been physically abused by their intimate partners (55.5 percent).
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Less than half of Indigenous Women have been stalked in their lifetime (48.8 percent).
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Indigenous Women are 2xs more likely to be raped than Anglo- American white women.
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Arizona has the third highest number of MMIW cases in the U.S. with 160 murders of Indigenous Women recorded from 1976-2018. More than 25% of murdered Indigenous Women cases in Arizona go unsolved and 1 in 3 murders of Indigenous Women goes unreported to the FBI. The Arizona Counties that have the highest recorded Indigenous Women homicides are:
Maricopa, Navajo, and Pima county.
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There are 22 Tribal Nations in Arizona
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As of July 2020, 12 Indigenous Women were recorded as missing in Arizona, ages 20-54. Of these 12 women, the average had been reported missing for over 2 decades (21 years).
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57% of Indigenous Women were murdered in Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale.
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23% of Indigenous Women were murdered in rural areas of Arizona.
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20% of Indigenous Women were murdered in other areas of Arizona.
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ASU_MMIWG_report_November_2020.pdf
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Southwest Regions with the highest # of reported MMIWC cases:
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New Mexico - 78 Cases
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Albuquerque, NM - 18 Cases
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Arizona - 54 Cases
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Tucson, AZ - 31 Cases
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Flagstaff, AZ - 7 Cases
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Navajo Nation (Arizona, Utah, New Mexico) - >100 Cases
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Fort Apache Reservation - 4 Cases
The Fort Apache Police Agency reported 91 homicides from 2006-2016.​
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In the U.S. there are currently 506 MMIWC and Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Cases
across 71 cities in the states.
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128 Missing Indigenous Women Cases (25%)
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280 Murdered Indigenous Women Cases (56%)
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98 Cases with an unknown status (19%)
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75% of cases have no Tribal Affiliation
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96 Cases were tied to domestic violence, sexual assault, police brutality, lack of safety.
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42 Cases were domestic violence related and 14% of those cases were girls under the age of 18. Three of these victims were pregnant at time of death.
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Youngest reported victim <1 years old
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Oldest reported victim - 83 years old
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Average age of reported victims - 29 years old
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135 Cases where the victim was under the age of 18 (27%)
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25 Cases were sexual assault related at time of disappearance/death.
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39% of victims in sex trafficking who had sexual assault at time of death.
In Arizona
Tribal Community Response When a Woman Is Missing:
A Toolkit for Action - What To Do
"Coping with the disappearance of a loved one or community member is very difficult. The fact that American Indian and Alaska Native women experience higher rates of domestic violence and sexual assault than any other population of women in the United States has broad ramifications. One consequence of this reality is that domestic and sexual violence occurs on a spectrum of abusive behavior and can include abduction and murder. If a woman you know is missing, taking immediate action is very important. The quicker you respond, the faster she may be located and provided the help needed."
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