Understanding the Crisis of Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW)
The crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) is one of the most urgent, yet most overlooked, human rights issues in the United States. Native women face violence at rates exponentially higher than other groups, a result of generations of systemic injustice.
To honor Native American Heritage Month, we uplift the voices calling for awareness, justice, and change.
The Crisis in Numbers
According to the Urban Indian Health Institute (UIHI), Indigenous women experience some of the highest rates of sexual violence, domestic violence, and murder in the country, yet these cases are dramatically underreported and rarely investigated.
Native women are:
2x more likely to experience sexual assault
More than 1.5x more likely to experience violence than white women
Murdered at rates up to 10x higher in some regions
The U.S. Department of Justice confirms that the majority of perpetrators are non-Native, complicating jurisdictional authority and accountability.
Root Causes: A Legacy of Violence & Injustice
The MMIW crisis stems from the long-standing impacts of colonization, including:
Jurisdictional confusion between tribal, state, and federal law enforcement
Historical displacement and erasure
Lack of data due to misclassification of Indigenous victims
Underfunding of tribal justice systems
The National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center (NIWRC) stresses that violence against Native women is a direct result of systemic failure, not individual circumstances.
Community Action & Tribal Leadership
Organizations like the National Congress of American Indians have long advocated for stronger sovereignty, improved data collection, and culturally grounded safety initiatives.
MMIW activism is being led by Native communities, families, and survivors whose strength drives national awareness and legal reform.
Our Commitment
YWCA Northeast Kansas stands with Indigenous women and families in advocating for:
Stronger protections
Improved investigations
Respect for tribal sovereignty
Culturally grounded survivor services
Increased awareness of MMIW in all communities
This month, and every month, we commit to uplifting stories, demanding justice, and supporting Native-led efforts to end the crisis.