Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women

Lore & Background

Activists from Indigenous communities in both the United States and Canada have raised awareness of the connection between sex trafficking, sexual harassment, sexual assault, and missing and murdered women. In Canada, the homicide rate for Indigenous women from 2001 to 2015 was almost six times higher than for other women, with even higher overrepresentation in Nunavut, Yukon, the Northwest Territories, Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. In the United States, Native American women are more than twice as likely to experience violence as any other demographic, with one in three sexually assaulted during their life and 96% of sexual violence reported involving non-Native perpetrators.

In Canada, the Government under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau established a National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in September 2016, which delivered its report to the government on May 29, 2019, with public release on June 3. The inquiry's backgrounder noted that Indigenous women make up 4% of Canada's female population but represented 16% of all women murdered between 1980 and 2012. Notable cases include women raped and murdered on the Highway of Tears and some of the 49 women from Metro Vancouver murdered by serial killer Robert Pickton.

In the United States, the Violence Against Women Act was reauthorized in 2013, giving tribes jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute domestic and dating violence involving both Native and non-Native offenders on reservations. In 2019, the House passed H.R.1585 to further increase tribes' prosecution rights, but the bill was not taken up by the Senate. Reauthorization became law in 2022 as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022.

Reader's Guide

The significance of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women lies in the systemic violence and marginalization faced by Indigenous women and girls across multiple countries. The movement has highlighted that Indigenous women are disproportionately affected by all forms of violence, with homicide rates in Canada nearly six times higher than for other women and murder rates in Australia at 12 times the national average. In the United States, Native American women are more than twice as likely to experience violence, with 70% of assaults going unreported. The grassroots movement has pushed for government inquiries and legislative changes, such as Canada's National Inquiry and U.S. reauthorizations of the Violence Against Women Act. The legacy includes ongoing awareness campaigns, Red Dress Day on May 5, and continued advocacy for data collection and law enforcement accountability. The inquiry in Canada concluded that the violence is rooted in systemic oppression, though the movement continues to address underreporting and jurisdictional challenges.

Did You Know?

• In Canada, Indigenous women make up 4% of the female population but represented 16% of all women murdered between 1980 and 2012.
• In the United States, 96% of sexual violence reported against Native American women involves non-Native perpetrators.
• Red Dress Day is observed on May 5 in Canada to call attention to violence against Indigenous women.
• The hashtag #MMIW was coined in 2012 by Sheila North Wilson while working for the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs.