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Since 2017, grassroots actions on May 5th to honor and call for justice for missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls (MMIWG) have increasingly grown at the local, regional, national, and international level. Native families, advocates, and Indigenous nations continue to rise up to challenge the silence, tolerance, and inaction in response to the crisis of MMIWG. Locally, community searches and actions, tribal press conferences, justice marches continue to draw attention and urgency to the MMIWG crisis, reflecting the long-standing call in holding governments publicly accountable for the perpetrators allowed to prey on Native women and girls with impunity. These Indigenous-led, grassroots efforts are exposing systemic barriers through federal and local legislation that mandates the attention to the federal trust responsibility and the equitable response of governments in consultation with tribes to address the MMIWG crisis. The voices of families, advocates, and Indigenous nations will not be silenced.

In 2021, the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center (NIWRC) and our National Partners Work Group on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls are organizing a full National Week of Action (April 29-May 5) to call the nation and the world to action in honor of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. We encourage all individuals and organizations to take action by participating in these virtual events and organizing additional actions in your communities on and around May 5th. Join us in saying ‘enough is enough’—not one more stolen sister.

Sign On to Support May 5th National Day of Awareness for MMIWG

Please sign on to support the Senate and House resolutions declaring May 5th as the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Native Women and Girls.

National Week of Action Event Schedule

Thursday, April 29, 2021

• Traditional Opening—Launch of the National Week | Watch on YouTube
• National Briefing—Addressing the National Crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women: Advocacy in Action, hosted by NIWRC | Watch Now
• Webcast—Verizon Thought Leadership Panel—Not Invisible: Taking Action on the Crisis of MMIWG | Watch Now

Friday, April 30, 2021

• Webinar—Using International Law to Respond to the MMIW Crisis, hosted by the Indian Law Resource Center | Watch Now

Monday, May 3, 2021

• Webinar—Nā Hānauna Ho'ōla (Healing Generations), 8 a.m. HST (12 p.m. MDT), hosted by the Pouhana O Na Wahine (Pillars of Women) | Watch Now

Tuesday, May 4, 2021

• Webinar—Spotlight Alaska and the Crisis of MMIWG, 11 a.m. AKT (1 p.m. MDT), hosted by the Alaska Native Women’s Resource Center | Watch Now

Wednesday, May 5, 2021

• #MMIWGActionNow Twitter Storm, 10–10:30 a.m. MDT | Download sharable posts
• #MMIWGActionNow Twitter Chat, 12–1 p.m. MDT | View question script
• Webinar—Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls National Day of Action, Uplifting the Voices of MMIW Survivor Families, 1 p.m. MDT, hosted by NIWRC | Watch Now
• Running for Justice: Remembering Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Virtual 5k, 10k & Half Marathon, hosted by Rising Hearts (May 5-9)

Sharable Resources for MMIWG

• Download the ‘No More Stolen Sisters’ poster and share a photo of yourself wearing red and/or traditional attire with the poster on social media using #MMIWGActionNow, #NoMoreStolenSisters and #MMIWG.
• Explore MMIW Toolkit for Understanding and Responding to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women for Families and Communities.
• Claim free print subscription for NIWRC’s Restoration of Native Sovereignty and Safety for Native Women magazine, courtesy of Urban Indian Health Institute.
• Share StrongHearts Native Helpline (1-844-762-8483) with relatives facing domestic, dating or sexual violence. Online chat is available at strongheartshelpline.org.