Indigenous Women: The Alarming Crisis of Missing and Murdered Amid Continuous Funding

WASHINGTON – The issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women remains critical, with grim statistics indicating ongoing challenges despite numerous initiatives aimed at addressing the crisis.

As of mid-2020, the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System reported a dozen missing Indigenous women from Arizona, many of whom have been unaccounted for an average of 21 years. In stark contrast, the Navajo Nation alone has identified 22 missing women, with cases dating back to the 1970s.

Advocates highlight that jurisdictional confusion and insufficient collaboration among law enforcement agencies exacerbate the problem. “Sadly, because a person is Navajo, it is sometimes assumed that Navajo will handle the case – in essence, the buck gets passed,” explained Eugenia Charles-Newton, chair of the law and order committee for the Navajo Nation Council.

Data from the National Congress of American Indians indicates that Indigenous women are five times more likely to experience violence from partners compared to their white counterparts. In response, Arizona hosts two tribal women’s coalitions focused on aiding survivors of domestic and sexual violence, including the Hopi-Tewa Women’s Coalition and the Southwest Indigenous Women’s Coalition.

Memory Longchase, the domestic violence response director at the Southwest Indigenous Women’s Coalition, stated, “If we could have ended this violence against ourselves, we would have done it a long time ago.” Jurisdictional issues complicate matters, particularly in urban areas where tribal members reside.

A 2018 report from the Urban Indian Health Institute uncovered 153 cases of missing or murdered Indigenous women absent from law enforcement records in 71 cities across 29 states, notably including Phoenix and Tucson. Abigail Echo-Hawk, director of the Urban Indian Health Institute, emphasized that city police often mistakenly believe that crimes reported by tribal members fall under tribal jurisdiction, leading to significant investigative delays.

Anticipating that the public might not take such cases seriously, Longchase remarked, “If somebody goes missing, they’re probably not going to do anything.” This perception contributes to the reluctance among victims to report violence. Tucson ranked fourth among cities with missing Indigenous women, and Arizona reported the third highest number of such cases in the nation.

Research from Arizona State University revealed that 10 of the 12 women listed in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System lived in rural areas, with ages ranging from 20 to 54. In mid-2023, the Department of Justice initiated the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program to address some jurisdictional issues through improved communication between tribes and state governments.

This program encompasses a wide region, including Arizona and four neighboring states. By the end of 2023, the FBI had recorded 10,650 missing persons cases involving American Indians and Alaskan Natives, with 1,631 still open at year’s end—approximately 40% of which pertained to women.

Despite these efforts, advocates point out a pervasive belief among Indigenous communities that abusers will face little to no repercussions. “If you know five people that have been raped and reported it and nothing happened, how likely are you to report?” Longchase asked. Jurisdictional complications in Indian Country create a convoluted legal landscape, complicating prosecution and law enforcement responsibilities.

Data from the Department of Justice reveals that 84% of Native women and 82% of men experience violence at some point in their lives. More than half of Native women have reported experiences of sexual violence—an alarming statistic compared to the national average.

On November 20, a House Appropriations subcommittee convened to discuss the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous Women. Five advocates shared their personal encounters with violence and their relationships with missing persons. Subcommittee chairman Rep. Mike Simpson noted the complexity of the issue, stating, “It brings up many questions and only some of them involve funding.”

Numerous laws and initiatives have emerged to tackle these jurisdictional challenges. Witnesses at the hearing expressed frustration over persistent gaps in enforcement and accountability. Charles-Newton remarked, “The jurisdictional issues have really just become an excuse, an excuse to not do the job.”

Key legislative measures, such as the Not Invisible Act and Savanna’s Act, aim to enhance communication between various jurisdictions and streamline data collection related to missing Indigenous persons. Funding through the Violence Against Women Act has also aimed to bolster support for tribal victims.

Rep. Tom Cole highlighted the unique challenges Indigenous communities face, noting, “We clearly have a very unique problem. We clearly have a lack of jurisdiction in many cases…We clearly have an enormous resource problem.”