In 2017, Sens. Steve Daines and Jon Tester from Montana introduced a resolution that would designate May 5 as a National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Native Women and Girls.
This resolution was in response to the 2013 murder of Hanna Harris on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation and other women abducted and killed across the United States.
Harris would have been 31 this year. She was only 21 when she was killed after leaving her reservation to go watch the Independence Day fireworks.
The details of her case are difficult to take in, but the story of Hanna Harris isn’t unique.
Indigenous women and girls face murder rates 10 times higher than the general U.S. population. Four out of five of these women will experience some form of violence in their lifetimes.
In Texas, information on missing indigenous women is limited. The Native Americans in Texas at the Spanish Colonial Missions are trying to bring awareness to this epidemic. Their Pilam Tap Tai project is focused on this very issue.
Whether it's lack of resources, miscommunication between tribal and federal law enforcement, or fear of speaking out, the issues faced by indigenous women and girls reveal the ways they must bear the brunt of violence in their communities.
Guests:
Ramon Vasquez is the Community Engagement Manager for the American Indians in Texas at the Spanish Colonial Missions. He manages the Pilam Tap Tai project, which focuses on the epidemic of missing and murdered indigenous women and people.
Irene Ramos serves on the council for the annual Gathering of Circles held in Cloudcroft, New Mexico. She has a law degree from St. Mary's University.
Laura Barrera is a retired educator. She has been a member of the Ravenhawk Drum Tribe for 20 years.
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