MADISON, Wis. — Today, State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski proclaimed Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) Awareness Day in Wisconsin to commemorate the missing and murdered women in Wisconsin and to demonstrate solidarity with their families.
“May 5 is just another day if we aren’t true to the families and victims of MMIWG or all missing and murdered Native People. We must act for change and resolution to a problem that goes back far beyond the past couple of years. We must understand that as we recognize or memorialize this day in any way that we remember we are talking about real people, and for some, it may be difficult to bring up the memories of family members and loved ones,” said Great Lakes Intertribal Council CEO Bryan J. Bainbridge.
According to the Urban Indian Health Institute, there were 5,712 reports of missing American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls in 2016, and murder was the third leading cause of death for these communities of women. Far too often, these cases go unreported, are not logged in the federal database, or are not covered by media, leaving indigenous women and girls to suffer from racism and violence invisibly.
“The stories from indigenous families in Wisconsin about the loss of their loved ones are heartbreaking, and I issue this proclamation in their honor,” said Treasurer Godlewski. “While we know there is much more to be done to address the pervasive, systemic issues that continue to result in these tragedies, I am hopeful that raising awareness today and every day will help bring missing and murdered indigenous women to the forefront and prevent this violence from happening.”
See the full proclamation here.
