It is important to understand the connection between domestic violence, dating violence, and sexual violence and the high incidence of missing and murdered Indigenous women (MMIW) in the United States. The crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women is not new. It is more than an epidemic—rather, it is part of the spectrum of violence experienced by Native women for centuries. This crisis of MMIW has deep roots in colonization and genocide and can be attributed to the lack of legal protections as a result of the systematic erosion of Tribal sovereignty stretching back more than 500 years.
Current federal Indian law is often referred to as a maze of injustice. Ongoing federal intrusion into the sovereign authority of Indian nations to protect their people and create safe communities has resulted in perpetrators facing little, if any, consequences for their crimes, including government and federal employees who oversee federal programs (ex., boarding schools, healthcare services, military recruiters, etc.). The high rates of violence and murder of Native women and the lack of accountability for such crimes are clearly tied to this federal intrusion, the erosion of Tribal authority, and the federal government's failure to fulfill its trust responsibility to safeguard the lives of Native women. Today, this crisis continues with the limited federal prosecutions of perpetrators and the high rate of federal case declinations by United States Attorneys in crimes of domestic violence, sexual assault, sex trafficking, and murder in Indian country.
For Native Hawaiian women, this federal intrusion and the resulting rates of violence against Native women are reflected in the U.S.’ overthrow of the Native Hawaiian monarchy. In 1993, the U.S. apologized, recognizing the long-range economic and social changes that have been devastating to the population and the health and well-being of Native Hawaiians.
In response to the crisis of MMIW, a groundswell of grassroots advocates, family members, and tribal leaders from across the nation continue to call for public attention and accountability by federal authorities to address these crimes.
