Cloak of Invisibility: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women

Fact sheet from the Committee on Women in Psychology

Hanna’s Story

Hanna Harris was born on May 5, 1992, a citizen of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe. On July 5, 2013, Hanna’s family reported her missing in Lame Deer, Montana, and her body was found five days later. Hannah was raped and murdered. She is just one of so many Indigenous girls and women who go missing and murdered every day.

In honor of Hanna Harris and the thousands of other missing and murdered Native American women and girls, the U.S. Senate designated May 5 as “National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Native Women and Girls.” President Joe Biden also signed a proclamation for May 5, declaring it "Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day."

In some tribal communities, Native American women face murder rates that are more than 10 times the national average; homicide is the 4th leading cause of death for Native women and girls between the ages of 1 and19, and the 6th leading cause of death for ages 20 to 24. Almost half of all Native American women have experience rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner, and one in three will, at some point in their life, experience the violence and trauma of rape according to the Department of Justice. Despite these high rates, it took a presidential proclamation to bring this issue to the national conversation. Still, this is not enough.

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More than 5,700 cases

The Urban Indian Health Institute released a reportopens in new window documenting official law enforcement numbers of MMIW in 71 U.S. urban cities indicating that more than 5,700 cases of missing Native American women and girls were reported in the United States in 2016. The number may be much higher due to misidentification of Native women as white or Latinx. However, out of the more than 5700, only 116 were loggedopens in new window in the Department of Justice national database.

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A continual frustration for Indigenous/Native American people is the cloak of invisibility that surrounds the lived experiences of this Nation’s first peoples. The lack of any and/or accurate representation in media, movies, and popular culture, coupled with smaller numbers in American society, results in the reality of current living conditions are often overlooked or even considered for a news story.

The epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) and Girls reflects this endemic pattern of being overlooked and forgotten. This crisis, which has existed for decades, until recently, has been largely ignored by mass media, educational institutions, large public health or judicial organizations, governing bodies like Congress, and the U.S. public in general. MMIW reflects not only the detrimental and painful effects of racism, but also sexism and acceptance of violence against women.

Policies to support

Savanna’s Act, now Public Law 116-165opens in new window, directs the Attorney General to review, revise, and develop law enforcement and justice protocols to address missing murdered Indigenous people. Savanna’s Act is named for Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind, a 22-year-old, 8-month-pregnant, Indigenous woman who was abducted and killedopens in new window in North Dakota.

Not Invisible Act of 2019, now Public Law 116-166opens in new window creates an intergovernmental coordination to identify and combat violence on Native land toward Native people.

While more legislation is needed, pubic and financial support is critical to create the infrastructure to make these new laws matter. For more informationopens in new window please see the Indian Law Resource Centeropens in new window.

Here’s how you can help

Discrimination doesn’t affect only people of color but all communities and economies. It is time for those with ordinary privilege to rally with and for Indigenous communities. Let us all help to undo the centuries of wrongdoing.

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