may 5th mmiwg national day of awareness
MISSING AND MURDERED INDIGENOUS RELATIVES
Introduced in 2016, May 5th is a National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives. To follow in 2019, Restoring Ancestral Winds helped inform the public about MMIWG and a resolution to declare May 5th as MMIWG Awareness Day in Salt Lake City, Utah was passed.
The Missing and Murdered Epidemic is so much, that it touches the lives of all Indigenous People. Perhaps the most devastating reality is Native People are often not found once they go missing, an experience that can crumble communities and take generations to heal from.
In response to the Missing and Murdered Violence on Indigenous Relatives, this violence has led our Nations into a time of deep advocacy, in hopes of healing this genocidal and colonial legacy. Advocacy in every territory has prompted our communities to develop tools and systems that will allow the invisible to be seen, for the silenced to be heard, and hopefully for our missing to be found.
Restoring Ancestral Winds is actively working to make the invisible, visible. A critical part of our work is ensuring that we address the lack of data around violence towards native people that is currently not included in a majority of public safety data collections.
As a tribal coalition, Restoring Ancestral Winds sees the sacredness in listening to and elevating the voices of Indigenous communities to define the present and root causes of such high rates of experienced violence. Supporting Indigenous people defining their own unique set of issues will allow for responses that are culturally just.
how to participate and raise awareness:
- Wear RED on May 5th and post a photo on social media with the hashtags #NationalDayofAwareness #MMIWG #MMIW #MMIWGT2S #MMIR #MMIP #MMIY
- Host or participate in a community event in your community on May 5th
- Host a prayer circle or candlelight vigil on May 5th
- Post a list of names of relatives missing or murdered from your community
- Create a living memorial
- Attend MMIR webinars and virtual spaces
- Raise money for your local tribal organization.
critical support
It takes many avenues, people, systems, and communities to work together in hopes of empowering our people into time of urgent change and healing, something we inherently deserve as Indigenous survivors of Genocide.
