Community members came together and walked 1 mile at CSUB, showing their support for the MMIWR. Photo by Jocelynn Landon
May 5 is not only known as Cinco de Mayo but also a national day of awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives (MMIWR), it is also a day that is highly recognised across the United States and Canada. Many Indigenous voices and community members come together to bring awareness and attention to the ongoing violence brought against the Native community, and to honor the lives both missing and lost.
On May 6, the CSUB Native Indigenous Student Coalition (NISC) was joined by community members and students for a peaceful march supporting and shining light on the missing and murdered individuals across the country. Nearly 4.3% of American Indian and Alaska Native women experience violence, and 81.6 % of American Indian and Alaska Native men have also experienced violence in their lifetime, which includes: sexual violence, physical violence by a partner, stalking, and psychological aggression by a partner.
Indigenous women and people are statistically proven to face abuse, violence, and trauma compared to other ethnicities across the United States. But as of 2023, it was reported that of the missing persons cases, 3.5% had been identified as American Indian or Alaska Native, making them 3x more than the U.S population record for AI/AN.
The president of CSUB NISC, Marcilia Clouddancer Diaz, shared in a speech that the significance of this march is to draw awareness to the lack of justice, attentiveness, and visibility presented in cases of missing Indigenous women and people.
“The crisis of MMIW is not just a Native issue, it is a human rights issue. Our relatives go missing, and often no one looks; jurisdictional loopholes, racism, and indifference allow this violence to continue,” said Diaz.
According to the UIHI, the lack of quality data regarding missing and murdered Native women and people is a result of underreporting, racial misclassification, and poor record-keeping protocols.
