Restoration Magazine

2022 National Week of Action

12 p.m. MDT | Launch of the National Week, Traditional Opening
1–2 p.m. MDT | A National Briefing on the Crisis of MMIW, hosted by the NIWRC
- The current systemic response to violence against Native women is inadequate and the rate at which we are losing our women is devastating to our Tribal communities and to the Nation as a whole. Insufficient resources and lack of clarity on jurisdictional responsibilities have exacerbated efforts to locate those who are missing. The federal Indian legal framework is complex and creates many barriers for victims and Tribes working to protect their citizens. Moreover, resources are scarce and culturally appropriate services are practically non-existent. Please join us as we listen to victim-survivors and family members, victim service providers, Tribal judges, and members of Congress discuss national policy issues and recommendations in support of Tribal Nations to enhance safety for Native women.

1-2:30 p.m. MDT | Voices Rising: Uplifting Native Hawaiian Women Survivors and Victims Missing or Murdered (Nā leo mana: Paepae ‘ia Nā Wahine Maoli Nā mea ola o ka ‘ino weliweli kūloko ‘ohana pau pū me nā luapo’i nalowale a i ‘ole make)
- This webinar will give a voice to survivors, fallen victims, and their ohana as Missing and Murdered Native Hawaiian Women remains a form of violence and oppression that was introduced and implemented by foreigners or non-Native Hawaiians to control and silence Native Hawaiian women. Furthermore, we will share how prostitution and sex trafficking negatively impacts the Hawaiian community by sexualizing cultural practices and viewing women as property, which is not a belief held by Native Hawaiians.

1-2:30 p.m. MDT | Spotlight Alaska and the Crisis of MMIWG
- A panel discussion led by Michelle Demmert on work being done to combat the current crisis of trafficking and MMIWG in Alaska. The panel will highlight AKNWRC’s partnerships with organizations and the collective work they do together utilizing each other’s strengths. We will look at AKNWRC’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women: An Action Plan for Alaska Native Communities. The spotlight will also look at state and federal law and policy that affect the crisis of MMIW and innovative work happening in Alaska.

Running for Justice, May 4-8: A National Virtual Run hosted by Rising Hearts
11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. MDT | Using International Law to Respond to VAIW and the MMIWG Crisis
- The MMIWG crisis in America is not just the result of the failures of our criminal justice system, it is a result of systemic violations of Indigenous women’s human rights. The presentation will review the international legal framework applicable to MMIWG and other forms of violence committed against Indigenous women. We will look closely at the two key human rights instruments that are specific to Indigenous peoples—the UN and American Declarations on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Both Declarations create minimum legal standards and obligations that countries must observe in their dealings with Indigenous peoples. The rights affirmed in these Declarations include the right of self-determination, rights to lands and resources, and the right of Indigenous women and children to be protected against violence. We will also discuss how recent actions by the UN Human Rights Council recognizing the human right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment can impact our work in this field. Finally, the session will share information about the work Native women, Tribes, and organizations have done using the international and regional human rights systems to advance Indigenous women’s rights and offer information about how you can get involved in these efforts.

10–10:30 a.m. MDT | #MMIWActionNow Twitter Storm
12–1 p.m. MDT | #MMIWActionNow Twitter Chat
1–2:30 p.m. MDT | Webinar: MMIW National Day of Action: Uplifting the Voices of MMIW Surviving Families
- In some Tribal communities, American Indian women face murder rates more than 10 times the national average. In responding to this national crisis, we recognize systemic barriers that exacerbate efforts to locate missing victims for families, communities, and Tribal Nations. Over the last decade, awareness of MMIW as a national issue has increased, but more must be done to stop disappearances and save lives. By learning from the experiences of surviving family members of MMIW, the movement can work to achieve the reforms needed to safeguard the lives of Indigenous women and strengthen the authority of Indian Nations to protect their citizens.