Two Bills, One Mission: Protect Indigenous Women
Photo Credit and Caption: Rep. Deb Haaland (D-New Mexico), center left, is joined by Native women, tribal leaders, advocates and other members of Congress at a rally for the Violence Against Women Act at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on September 11, 2019. Photo/Caption by Indianz.Com
Two bipartisan bills are on President Trump's desk: Savanna's Act and the Not Invisible Act. Both are designed to protect Indigenous women in the United States through, among other processes, better law enforcement coordination and case monitoring. According to the CDC, murder is the third-leading cause of death for American Indian and Alaska Native women under age 19.
Their names and stories. Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind was lured into a neighbor's apartment while eight months pregnant. Days later, her body was found in the Red River, where an indigenous girl from Canada, 15-year-old Tina Fontaine, was discovered a few years earlier. Savanna's murderers, who were apprehended and convicted, forcibly removed her baby. Today, that little girl is safe with her family.
Startling statistics. A new report examines cases of 2,306 missing Native American women and girls in the United States. The Sovereign Bodies Institute uncovered that almost 60% of known cases are homicides and 31% involve girls 18 and younger. About 75% of cases with minors involved victims who were in foster care at the time of their disappearance or death.
And, data disparities. Let's take a look at data from one small section of the country, between Northern California and the border with Oregon. Researchers reviewed 105 cases from that region and discovered that 62% of cases were not included in any official missing persons databases and 74% had no public documentation on the manner of death and whether or not charges were filed.
Enter: the new measures. The Not Invisible Act is the first federal bill to be introduced by four enrolled members of federally recognized tribes, including Congresswoman Haaland pictured above. Once enacted, the federal government will create an advisory panel focused on addressing violent crimes against indigenous women. Savanna's Act requires the Justice Department to establish guidelines for responding to cases of Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and reporting statistics about those cases.
Share their stories. Share stories with these hashtags: #mmiw, #nomorestolensisters, and #notinvisible. These stories do not always end up in mainstream media coverage and need more attention. Awareness led to the passage of two bipartisan bills. Imagine what we could do if everyone knew about this crisis in the U.S. and Canada.
And, watch this doc. Communities in Winnipeg created Drag the Red to find Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women in the Red River. In 2014, they dredged the lake themselves and helped uncover seven bodies. Mitch Bourbonniere told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), "We literally, with hooks, drag the bottom of the river looking for evidence or anything that might lead police to open up cold cases." CBC created a short documentary about this tragic effort.