As of 2016, the National Crime Information Center has reported 5,712 cases of missing American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls. However, the U.S Department of Justice missing persons database has only reported 116 cases. This is the statistic that I lead with when telling listeners about why I advocate for the missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, here in the United States.
While these numbers are shocking, my true passion behind this cause hits a lot closer to home. I grew up in small-town Oklahoma, where I was surrounded by Native culture. Although I went to a public high school, our students were predominantly tribal members. So, it is no surprise that most of my friends were members of local tribes.
A year after graduating high school, I heard that my friend Brittany, a member of the Ponca Nation, had died. Her death was a direct result of a domestic abuse situation, where the father of her children regularly physically assaulted her. Ultimately, he took a plea deal and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Let that sink in. 20 year for taking someone’s daughter, sister, mother, away forever.
I knew when I was asked to create a platform to speak on during my time as a rodeo queen that I needed it to be something I was truly passionate about. One way that people can signify their support of the MMIWG movement is to wear the color red. I use my Cowgirl Courage to remind people that I wear red because:
Indigenous women and girl’s murder rates are 10 times higher than all other ethnicities.
Murder is the 3rd leading cause of death for Indigenous Women (Centers for Disease Control).
More than 4 out of 5 Indigenous Women have experienced violence (84.3%) (National Institute of Justice Report).
