The U.S. Department of Justice reports that in some tribal communities, American Indian women face murder rates that are more than 10 times the national average, a key factor that prompted U.S. Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Dan Newhouse (R-WA) to raise more awareness about missing and murdered indigenous women and girls.
“We must continue to take up the banner for those who no longer are able to,” said Rep. Newhouse. “They deserve answers, and I will continue working to deliver them.”
“I’m proud to help lead this resolution to stand with the families of every victim and reaffirm our commitment to ending this nationwide crisis before another innocent life is lost,” Rep. McMorris Rodgers said.
Rep. Newhouse on May 6 sponsored the bipartisan House Resolution (H.Res.) 1094 with 17 original cosponsors, including Rep. McMorris Rodgers and U.S. Reps. Kelly Armstrong (R-ND), Tom Cole (R-OK), Dave Joyce (R-OH), Dusty Johnson (R-SD), Pete Stauber (R-MN), Stephanie Bice (R-OK), and Adam Smith (D-WA).
If enacted, H.Res. 1094 would designate May 5, 2022 as the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Native Women and Girls.
“Too many women in America find themselves living in fear of becoming a victim of violence and predatory behavior. This is especially true in Washington State, where Native American women are murdered or go missing at the second-highest rate in the country,” said Rep. McMorris Rodgers. “This is a statistic we should be doing everything in our power to change for the tribes in our eastern Washington community.”
The resolution would demonstrate the lawmakers’ solidarity with the families and loved ones of missing and murdered indigenous women, and would call on the people of the United States to commemorate the lives of American Indian and Alaska Native women whose cases are documented and undocumented in public records and the media, according to a resolution summary provided by the lawmakers.
“While Native Americans make up 2 percent of our state’s population, Native women account for 7 percent of our state’s reported missing women. Those statistics are unacceptable, and despite these sad and staggering numbers in our community, the closest Cold Case Task Force Office is currently located in Billings, Montana,” Rep. Newhouse said. “Establishing a Cold Case Task Force Office in Yakima is imperative if we want to keep moving forward in addressing this crisis.”