As is, Indigenous people’s real lives stay mythologized or otherwise erased—and too often, Black people take part in that mythologizing. We mostly do this through family lore, insisting that we “have Indian in us” with nary a DNA test to back up that claim but a lot guessing and jump-to conclusions based on the grade of Grandma’s hair, Cousin So-and-So’s skin tone and similar facial structures. More often than not, the physical features we’re seeing—or a phenotype—is the result of unknown or unacknowledged sexual violence between White men and Black women, not a lineage from Indigenous people.
In the meantime, Indigenous people—especially women and girls–are suffering from very real violence brought on to their own communities. The mythologizing and erasure exacerbates this.
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day is today and provides an opportunity to honor countless lives lost while elevating the need for greater awareness to address violence against Indigenous communities – particularly women and girls.
The Michigan Domestic and Sexual Violence Prevention and Treatment Board – which is within the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) – has issued a resolution to recognize Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day and encourages Michiganders to attend gatherings and marches hosted by federally recognized tribes throughout the state.
“The needs surrounding missing and murdered women and Indigenous people are long-standing issues connected to this country’s history of assimilation polices,” said Chief Judge Melissa Pope of the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi and member of the Michigan Domestic and Sexual Violence Prevention and Treatment Board. “We need allies in this work, and we need every advocate to remember the historical trauma and suffering of Indigenous people. I am honored to represent the Board at the March for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day in Grand Rapids on May 5 and encourage all Michiganders to attend local events that recognize the lives of murdered and missing Indigenous people and relatives.”
Cases of missing and murdered Indigenous people – particularly women and girls – are under-reported, under-investigated, and remain unsolved throughout the United States. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, murder is the third-leading cause of death among American Indian and Alaska Native Women on tribal lands.
“As an advocate for all victims of crime in our state, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services though our Division of Victim Services believes it’s important to remember Indigenous people in Michigan and their families who have suffered as a result of acts of violence,” MDHHS Director Elizabeth Hertel said. “We will continue to work with our tribal partners to provide financial support to community-based services for crime survivors.”
Research published by the National Institute of Justice indicates that more than four in five American Indian and Alaska Native women – over 84 percent – have experienced violence in their lifetime, including stalking, sexual violence and physical abuse by an intimate partner.
“For too long, missing and murdered Indigenous people and their relatives have not received the supportive care, programs, and services they need and deserve,” said retired Judge Libby Hines, chair of the Michigan Domestic and Sexual Violence Prevention and Treatment Board. “Our board is committed to improving state laws and policies as we work to prevent these egregious acts of violence while relentlessly pursuing justice on behalf of all Indigenous people in Michigan.”
The MDHHS Division of Victim Services partners with nine federally recognized tribes in Michigan and provides funding for sexual assault and domestic violence programs that offer services to individual survivors with a culturally honoring approach. Services include Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner programs, shelter, victim rights advocacy, victim advocates, housing relocation assistance and individual client assistance. The Division of Victim Services also funds the StrongHearts Native Helpline, an anonymous and confidential domestic and sexual violence helpline for Native Americans and Alaska Natives offering culturally appropriate support and advocacy.
To contact the StrongHearts helpline, call 1-844-7NATIVE (762-8483) or visit www.StrongHeartsHelpline.org to chat with an advocate.
Learn more about Michigan’s federally recognized tribes in your area, visit the website that provides an overview of the state’s tribes. Learn more by viewing the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day Fact Sheet.
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