National Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Awareness Day
to
Capitol 2 E. Main St., Madison, Wisconsin 53703
media release: May 5 is the National Day of Awareness for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) movement to end the endemic of violence against Indigenous people. Waking Women Healing Institute, Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center, Wisconsin MMIW Task Force, Maeqtekuahkihkiw Metaemohsak - Woodland Women, and Wisconsin Women's Council are working in collaboration to center families and survivors in this heart work to support and stand with them in healing by holding a MMIWG Day of Awareness event on Tuesday, May 7 at the State Capitol. Speakers include survivors and families.
12:00-3:00 p.m. Outside the State Capitol (at the State Street steps), Madison
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. “The love we have for our families is also the love we have for our communities” said Rachel Fernandez of Maeqtekuahkihkiw Metaemohsak – Woodland Women and a member of the Women’s Council. “We all have a responsibility to create change in order to ensure safety and justice for all relatives."
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.