The MMIWG movement was first catalyzed by Indigenous women protesting man camps.

Man camps are temporary housing units built by extractive industries, such as fossil fuels, typically for non-Indigenous, non-local workers in rural areas bordering on or near Indian reservations. Man camps often span the colonial borders of the United States and Canada.

Nearby Indigenous communities or border towns experience increased incidences of violence, robberies, sexual assault, and human trafficking. Some border towns near man camps have documented a 30% increase in human trafficking and sexual assaults four times the U.S. national average. [1]

Still, violence against MMIWG did not originate with extractive fuel industries. It is a legacy of colonialism such as land dispossession, cultural assimilation, and forced relocation.

[1] LeMay, Genevieve M. (2018) “The Cycles of Violence Against Native Women: An Analysis of Colonialism, Historical Legislation and the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013,” PSU McNair Scholars Online Journal: Vol. 12: Iss. 1, Article 1. DOI 10.15760/mcnair.2018.1

Violence against Indigenous women and girls is not confined to Indian reservations or nearby areas.

Nearly 4 out of 5 Indigenous people live off-reservation. Indigenous women and girls in the United States have the highest rates of those murdered and missing when compared to other populations.

Despite efforts to raise awareness, of the 5,712 cases of MMIWG in the United States only 116 were included in the Department of Justice (DOJ) database. [2]

As a point of reference, if the portraits of the women and girls in this exhibit were actually MMIWG, only 2 out of the 94 would be included in the DOJ database as recognized MMIWG cases.

[2] Urban Indian Health Institute, Seattle Indian Health Board.(2018). “Indian Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Report: A Snapshot of Data from 71 Urban Cities in the United States.” Retrieved from https://www.uihi.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Missing-and-Murdered-Indigenous-Women- and-Girls-Report.pdf

The Urban Indian Heath Institute identified 506 MMIWG cases from 71 cities spanning 29 states.

Of these, 25% were missing and 56% were murder cases. The remaining 19% had an unknown status. Half of all victims were 29 years or younger, with the youngest reported victim under 1 year old and the oldest 83 years old. [2]

Clearly the data available about MMIWG is incomplete. This human rights crisis is not adequately covered by the media, while law enforcement data is either unavailable and/or insufficient.

The lack of attention currently given to this epidemic by authorities, lawmakers, and the general public is problematic.

[2] Urban Indian Health Institute, Seattle Indian Health Board.(2018). “Indian Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Report: A Snapshot of Data from 71 Urban Cities in the United States.” Retrieved from https://www.uihi.org/wp-content /uploads/2018/11/Missing-and-Murdered-Indigenous-Women- and-Girls-Report.pdf