Today, Congressman Markwayne Mullin (OK-02), Vice Chair of the Congressional Native American Caucus, cosponsored a resolution marking today, May 5^th the National Awareness Day for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, continuing his commitment to addressing this crisis.

“The silent crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women is wreaking havoc on our families and our communities,” Mullin said. “As a member of Cherokee Nation, I am committed to doing all I can in Congress to work towards a solution. Our priority must be to ensure the safety and well-being of native women and children, and for all parties to work together to end this violence. Thank you to my colleagues for joining me in this effort and committing to building safer communities for native women in Indian Country.”

“For far too long, Native women and children have been disproportionately targeted by dangerous predators in Indian Country. By bringing awareness to this tragic crisis, we continue to elevate the need for solutions to protect this vulnerable population,” Cole, Co-Chair of the Congressional Native American Caucus and Member of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma said. “As a longtime supporter and advocate for additional resources to combat violence in Indian Country, I am proud to join my colleagues in once again introducing this important resolution that highlights this need.”

“This crisis is something that impacts tribes and communities across the United States,” Newhouse, Chairman of the Western Caucus said. “Hundreds of families have gone decades without answers, and we must continue to bring attention to the need to end the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women – once and for all. I am proud to lead Members from both sides of the aisle in recognizing these women, their families and loved ones – our neighbors – and will working toward delivering the justice they deserve.”

Native American and Alaska Native women face murder rates more than ten times higher than the national average. According to GAO researchers, they also experience higher rates of violence, and federal and tribal officials have declared that this incidence of violence constitutes a crisis.
 
In 2020, President Trump signed two pieces of legislation into law to address this crisis: Savanna’s Act and the Not Invisible Act. Western Caucus Members have continued to urge action from the Administration to implement these laws and work with state, local, and tribal officials to increase coordination, improve investigation, and enhance reporting and communication between law enforcement officers, Native communities, and families of victims.

Mullin is joined by Reps. Dan Newhouse (WA-04), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05), Adam Smith (WA-09), Kelly Armstrong, (ND-AL), Tom Cole (OK-04), Kim Schrier (WA-08), David Joyce (OH-14), Derek Kilmer (WA-06), Dusty Johnson (SD-AL), Maria Elvira Salazar (FL-27), Pete Stauber (MN-08), Matt Rosendale (MT-AL), Chris Stewart (UT-02), Jay Obernolte (CA-08), Cliff Bentz (OR-02), and Stephanie Bice (OK-05).

To read the full text of the resolution, click here.