National Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Awareness Day

media release: May 5th is the National Day of Awareness for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) movement. Woodland Women is working in collaboration with Wisconsin Women's Council and the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ ) Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) Taskforce to center families and survivors in this heart work we do to support and stand with them in healing. Speakers include Lt. Governor Sara Rodriguez and Menominee Tribal Legislator Rachel Fernandez.

Friday, May 5, 2023, 12:00-2:00 p.m., outside the state Capitol (at the King Street walkway/balustrade)

NOTE: The amplified speaking portion will conclude at 1:00 p.m.

The MMIWG Day of Awareness event is an opportunity to learn and hear testimony from survivors, families, and loved ones about the impact of the MMIWG endemic. “We want to include all of our relatives whose family members have gone missing and have been murdered,” said Rachel Fernandez of Woodland Women and member of the Women’s Council. “This includes our brothers and our two spirit relatives. We will #WraptheCapitol in red with our ribbon skirts, dresses, and ribbon shirts with song and prayer.”

This event promotes support and healing by bringing awareness and testimony to the truths of Indigenous people and the violence Native women and girls experience. Violence against Native women and girls is an under-reported problem in Wisconsin, and throughout the U.S., and cases are often misclassified or there is confusion about jurisdiction. Accurate data protocols are needed to improve data collection and tracking information. The MMIWG Day of Awareness sheds light on these issues and supports the ongoing efforts to improve the response of social service organizations, examine the roles federal, state, and tribal jurisdictions play, and improve and implement robust data collection and reporting methods.