MMIWG Street Art

“As of 2016, the National Crime Information Center has reported 5,712 cases of missing American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls. Strikingly, the U.S Department of Justice missing persons database has only reported 116 cases”

-Native Women’s Wilderness

The saying “No More Stolen Sisters”, written in this mural is a saying that is often used in the MMIWG movement to raise awareness. This issue continues to be underreported and Native women all over the United States and Canada continue to be victims themselves or witness their loved ones fall victim to this epidemic.

“The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that murder is the third-leading cause of death among American Indian and Alaska Native women and that rates of violence on reservations can be up to ten times higher than the national average”.

-Urban Indian Health Institute

“The states with the highest number of cases are as follows: New Mexico (78), Washington (71), Arizona (54), Alaska (52), Montana (41), California (40), Nebraska (33), Utah (24), Minnesota (20), and Oklahoma (18)”. - Urban Indian Health Institute

This mural is of Roxanne White who is a grassroots organizer for Indigenous rights and environmental justice. She is known for her work with the MMIWG movement and working closely with the families to receive justice. She is a survivor herself and aims to raise awareness for this issue and provide support throughout many Native communities.

“ in 24 cases; of these, 13 victims were killed by a partner or the partner of an immediate family member, three were killed by an immediate family member, six were killed by a serial killer, and two were killed by a drug dealer”.

-Urban Indian Health Institute

The Red Dress Project is a public installation that has taken place in many different states. Red Dresses are hung in parks, in front of buildings, and other public places to catch people’s attention. This project aims to raise awareness for the movement and symbolize the lives of the Indigenous Women who have been murdered or are missing.

“More than 4 out of 5 Indigenous Womxn (American Indian & Alaskan Native AI/AN) have experienced violence (84.3%)” -National Institute of Justice Report

This mural, by Gregg Deal, is a painting of his 14 year old daughter with the red hand symbol across her face. This symbol has become a huge element in raising awareness for the movement. For the motive behind this piece Gregg States, “A lot of representation sexualizes Indigenous women, from Disney’s long-legged Pocahontas to the way women are portrayed in pop culture. There’s a stereotype and representation of Indigenous women throughout American culture”.

“More than half Indigenous (AI/AN) Womxn experience sexual violence (56.1%)”.

-Native Women’s Wilderness