The disappearance and murder of Gabby Petito has rocked the country. In the shadows of her captivating story lurk the hundreds of Indigenous women and girls who have gone missing in the same state. Their stories have gone ignored for over a decade, so much so that in 2019, Wyoming's governor created the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Task Force to look into the issue.
It is estimated that Indigenous women are up to 10 times more likely to be victims of murder or sexual assault, and their cases are rarely taken as seriously. Spotty crime data, jurisdictional grey areas, and incorrect race classifications and tribal affiliations by authorities all contribute to this tragic, gaping hole in our justice system.
We've put together some easy steps you can take to help shine light on this issue, and spread awareness:
Educate yourself and share what you're learning with others.
Pressure your state representatives to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act.
Download the Native Lands app and donate to the tribe whose land you now live on.
Support any of the following causes: National Indigenous Women's Resource Center Native Women's Wilderness Indian Law Resource Center Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women NDN Collective
Mainstream feminism tends to focus on mainstream problems. We need to raise our voices for all women, and raise them the loudest for those who are the most marginalized. In that spirit, 100% of profits from our Red Handprint items will be donated to the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women.
Title Image: Reuters
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