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Throughout history, indigenous women have been suffering from violence. Women are being raped and murdered at extreme rates, but nobody talking about it. Most people do not even know of this crisis. Law officials and prosecutors ignore this epidemic, leaving indigenous women defenseless.

There are a lack of charges being filed against these crimes causing Native American women to suffer. Often when families are going to report a missing person the blame gets focused on the victim. When reports are not being taken seriously searches are being delayed leaving family members responsible searching for their loved ones

Myself being a Native American women who has suffered from sexual assault, and knowing other native american women closely related to me who are also victims of violence, this has been something I'm very passionate on speaking about.

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Do to a US Supreme Court ruling in 1978 tribes do not have the jurisdiction to arrest non-indians. If a non-indian commits a crime against a Native American Woman on tribal land only a federal agent has the right to make an arrest.

"On tribal land, 97% of native women who have experienced at least one act of violence was committed by a non-Indian (USA today)."

Non-indians know that they will not face consequences for their crimes against native women, so they continue to have acts of violence.

Native American women are 2.5 times more likely to experience sexual assault crimes than all of the races in the US. One in three Native American women report having been raped during their lifetime. But because of the lack of charges being filed, Native American women continue to suffer. In 2017 Native Americans made up 1.8% of ongoing cases in the FBI's database although they only represent 0.8% of the US population.

https://www.liberal.ca/an-inquiry-into-missing-and-murdered-indigenous-women-girls/

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The me-too movement is a movement that support survivors of sexual violence and allowing allies to come together to support these victims. You might have seen a #metoo post on social media or heard of it in the news, as the movement has began to gain more attention. Several high profile celebrities have commented on the movement, along with several news stories.

Because of the #Metoo movement the issue of murdered and missing indigenous women has been gaining more attention. Tarana Burke, the creator of the me too movement said

“Sexual violence knows no race, class or gender, but the response to sexual violence absolutely does”

This print was made by graphic designer Kristina Maldonado BadHand. Women at recent events wore red hand prints across their mouths to symbolize the silence in the violence against indigenous women. This print represents the violence being blocked out by not speaking on it, seeing it or hearing it.

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Native American women are often viewed as invisible. The statistics on crimes against Native American women are shocking but there hasn't been much changed on. Government officials are aware of these shocking crimes but little help is offered. Ashley heavyrunner Loring is a 20 year old who went missing from blackfeet Nation in June of 2017. Blackfeet nation is a 1.5 million acre reservation In Montana. Ashley's family has been rummaging through abandoned trailers, hiking through mountains, charging through snow, rain and mud trying to find Ashley. Ashley’s family follows every rumor there is, even if it sounds ridiculous. Ashley’s sister Kimberly says
“I don’t want to search until I’m 80. But if I have to, I will.”

The crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women is not only a problem that the United States faces. Canada has a large amount of their indigenous women population going missing as well. Their headlines are shockingly similar and statistics that are even more shocking.

“There is a darkness that lives in Canadian society – sexual predators who are able to commit horrible crimes against Indigenous girls with relative impunity because our society has looked away” (NOW).

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Native American women will continue to suffer from tragic and heartbreaking crimes. Thousands of Native American women go missing every year in the United States and those numbers aren't going to go down until we fight, and until Native American women are no longer viewed as invisible. Indigenous women will not be able to receive the justice that they deserve until something is done.

https://www.realchangenews.org/2018/01/24/murdered-and-missing-indigenous-women-activists-speak-solidarity-and-justice-seattles