Two Northern Michigan University entities are holding a virtual Walk for Justice throughout the month of May to raise awareness of what has been called “the silent epidemic” of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW).
The NMU Social Work Department's Walking the Path Together program, along with the Center for Native American Studies, invites participants to log and share their miles on Facebook to be eligible to win prizes. Other activities include an art competition and t-shirt sales to support a local chapter of MMIW.
The month-long event expands on the May 5 National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, which was designated through a congressional resolution.
In 2018, the Urban Indian Health Institute researched and compiled a database of 5,717 missing Alaska Native and American Indian women and girls. Among those, only 116 were listed in the database owned by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Statistics show that Indigenous women are murdered at a rate 10 times higher than the national average, and homicide is one of the leading causes of death for young Indigenous women.
For more information, visit the Walking the Path Together Facebook page. Register for the Walk for Justice or order a t-shirt here. Listen to an audio narrative with more statistics and information.
Contact the Center for Native American Studies at 227-1397 or cnas@nmu.edu.