Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women

As Lisa Monchalin writes in her published article, Homicide and Indigenous peoples in North America: A structural analysis, “The history of colonialism, the legacy of trauma, and the structural violence underlying the theft of land, death by disease, attempted genocide, racism, inequality of income, disparities in wealth, dilapidated housing, mediocre education, rampant unemployment, homelessness, and poor health indicators, among others, serve to provide the conditions in which the extant victimization experienced by Indigenous peoples goes largely unnoticed. Nowhere is the marking of Indigenous bodies for violent victimization and death more salient than the current crisis of missing and murdered women experienced in both Canada and the United States. In some reservations in the U.S., Indigenous women are murdered at a rate ten times more than the national average.” (Monchalin, 2019)

Laveel-Harvard, a member of the Wikwemikong First Nation says, “To understand the severity of the tragedy facing Indigenous women today, the history of settler colonialism must be understood, a process deliberately and openly designed to eradicate the so-called Indian problem in North America by simply eliminating the “Indians” themselves.” When Europeans came to North America, indigenous women were under attack, and were labeled a danger to the establishment of the looming patriarchal society, because in many tribes, women were recognized as important and prominent members of their societies. (Monchalin, 2019) “Indigenous women came to be viewed as savage or primitive and were shamed and marginalized as a result of patriarchal colonizers who advanced distorted narratives of

Indigenous societies and peoples.” (Deer, 2015)

When looking at the word ‘Squaw’ which is a colonial word used to describe indigenous women, we find many indigenous people who view it as a sexual, and racial slur designed to demoralize and diminish native women. According to Lisa Monchalin, “This term and all of the stereotypes perpetuated by Colonial ideologies of women's sexuality, particularly Indigenous women's sexuality, underpin the violence Indigenous women face throughout history into present day.” (Monchalin, 2019)

In addition, when we look at the collective trauma associated with the cultural annihilation endured by our first nations people, we are forced to look at the ugly truth about how that trauma has dehumanized the victims and families of these crimes, and how our justice system because of tribal rule and federal negligence, has not been able to create any resolution in the midst of such a crisis. In this paper I will be looking at the effects the fossil fuel industry has had on the Missing & Murdered Indigenous crisis, the sociological impacts and causes, and lastly what is being done about this tragedy by our government to create permanent change for our first nations people, so that they don’t have to live in fear for their children for in perpetuity.

In the film ‘Nuuca’ by Michelle Latimer, the presence of man camps, and increased transient oil field workers near the Fort Berthold reservation in North Dakota is explored, in connection with the disappearance and harassment of Indigenous women. “Michelle Latimer explores the traits of the Bakken oil boom through the eyes of a young woman who grew up on the reservation. Some of the boom’s features are obvious: the cylinder of the derrick creaking as it pumps in and out of the earth, tanks full of crude oil buzzing with electricity, pipes rusting in a field, gas flares, and huge semi-trucks speeding down country roads, one after another, but, Latimer also explores attributes of the boom that go beyond the infrastructure: rising rates of sexual violence, women being bought and sold, and daily harassment by transient male oil workers.” (Brown,2018)

The narrator of the film recalls, “The women here are being taken, they are being raped they are being sold, in the beginning it was a big shocker, but now it’s the norm.” (Nuuca, 7:35) These man camps, according to Marie Chase’s Master Thesis from UCSF, are, “Small half sized trailers clustered together which have created a space for isolation, drugs, and violence. In addition to corporate built man camps, there are also man camps that are less structured in construction, meaning that no organization built the new housing or development for oil settlement. Such informal man camps can be described as settled encampments of mobile trailers, tents, and even cars. Many of the non-Native oil workers have left their families to work seasonally, are single, and have no accountability to the Native community.” (Chase, 2018)

Because of the influx of oil workers in this area, violence against women increased, and since, more murders, fatal accidents, sexual assaults, domestic dispute, drug busts, gun threats, and human trafficking cases have been reported. (Crane-Murdoch, 2013). This invasion of non-native men echo the colonial past of domination, and decimation. When we consider how tribal jurisdiction works, we are reminded that the issues on the reservations are aggravated because, “Jurisdictional issues complicate efforts to prosecute the influx of non-Indigenous lawbreakers.” (Brown, 2019)

When it comes to jurisdiction on native reservations in the United States, the lines appear to be very blurred. “While the federal government investigates major crimes on reservations— tribes are sovereign, and their lands generally fall outside state jurisdiction. On most reservations, state and local police have no authority.” (Macdougall, 2017) This makes things very complicated when it comes to investigating crimes on the reservation perpetrated by non-natives. When it comes to passing laws to help fight the MMIW crisis, Mary Kathryn Nagle is an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation and tribal lawyer. “If Senate could re-authorize the Violence Against Women Act by passing a bill that incorporates tribal provisions — provisions that would restore jurisdiction stolen by the Supreme Court in its 1978 decision Oliphant v. Suquamish. In that decision, the court declared that tribal nations could not prosecute non-Indians who perpetrate crimes against Native women and children on tribal lands, even though, according to the Department of Justice, a majority of violent crimes committed against Natives are committed by non-Indians.” (Nagle, 2019)

November 26th, 2019, Donald Trump signed into existence a task force designed to investigate Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. The signed bill, unfortunately arrives on the heels of a Republican bill designed make it harder for tribes to put non-Native abusers behind bars. “The task force will be overseen by William Barr, the attorney general, and interior secretary David Bernhardt. It is tasked with developing protocols to apply to new and unsolved cases and creating a multi-jurisdictional team to review cold cases.” (Nagle, 2019) While this is a step in the right direction Lisa Murkowski, the Republican Senator for Alaska reminds, “We know where the sexual predators go. They are preying on Native women in numbers that are just offensive because they know that they can commit offenses with impunity.”

William Barr, who is at the helm of the task force entitled the ‘Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Initiative’, will enable the justice department to, “Invest $1.5 million to hire specialized coordinators in 11 U.S. attorney's offices across the U.S., who would be responsible for developing protocols for a more coordinated law enforcement response to missing persons cases. Tribal or local law enforcement officials would also be able to call on the FBI to help in some missing indigenous persons cases. The FBI could then deploy some of its specialized teams, including investigators who focus on child abduction or evidence collection and special agents who can help do a quick analysis of digital evidence and social media accounts. The Justice Department is also committing to conducting an in-depth analysis of federal databases and its data collection practices to determine if there are ways to improve the collection of data in missing persons cases.” (CBS News, 2019) In addition ‘Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Initiative’ will also mandate standardized guidelines and demand that statistics be sent to congress yearly.

In addition to the new task force, a piece of legislation introduced by Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) called Savanna’s act is “designed to improve coordination and data collection among tribal, local, state and federal law enforcement in cases involving missing and murdered Native women.” (Sierra Club, 2019) According to A. Gay Kingman, Executive Director, Great Plains Tribal Chairman's Association, “Savanna’s Act was named in memory of Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind, a citizen of the Spirit Lake Sioux Tribe, one of the GPTCA tribes. At this moment, our women and girls are disturbingly vulnerable. The GPTCA tribes, particularly the Lakota-Dakota Nations in South Dakota, are in the eye of the human trafficking storm. The K-XL ‘man camps’ will increase that threat, which makes the passage of Savanna’s Act with our amendments all the more critical.” Savanna’s act should help bridge the gaps between law enforcement agencies and create some common ground where, hopefully progress is the result in preventing and solving past and present crimes.

The final lens that could potentially shed some light on this crisis is the sociological lens. When we look at the trauma experienced by first nations people, we are faced with the scientific reality that our DNA carries collective trauma from generation to generation. A recent research project at Emory University found that mice who had experienced trauma associated with the smell of Cherry Blossom trees passed this fear down to their offspring when they experienced the same smell. “Genetic markers, thought to be wiped clean before birth, were used to transmit a single traumatic experience across generations, leaving behind traces in the behavior and anatomy of future pups.” (Kim, 2013) In addition, scientists also speculate because of this research that, “Studies on humans suggest that children and grandchildren may have felt the epigenetic impact of such traumatic events such as famine, the Holocaust and the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.” (Kim, 2013)

This paints a very bleak picture for our first nations people, because of the trauma they have collectively experienced, and this traumas potential for inhabiting many generations to come. “Experiencing massive traumas and losses is thought to lead to cumulative and unresolved grief, which can result in the historical trauma response, which includes suicidal thoughts and acts, IPV, depression, alcoholism, self-destructive behavior, low self- esteem, anxiety, anger, and lowered emotional expression and recognition. These symptoms run parallel to the extant health disparities that are documented among indigenous peoples.” (Monchalin, 2019) When we consider the impacts of this trauma, in regards to the Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women epidemic, we have to consider how this trauma has impacted the collective response of not only the families and loved one’s affected but also how it has affected our government in their attempts to heal and prevent future cases.

The connections between colonialism and why this epidemic is still hiding in the shadows, could be because our government still has yet to take responsibility for the atrocities that were perpetrated against our first nations people during the colonization period. Until we can look in mirror and say we are responsible for our collective shame, because of this cultural annihilation, and the abuse of power that has historically contributed to this epidemic, we will not see the holistic healing that is so desperately needed in order to create permanent change in first nations societies.

In order for wounds to heal they need to be exposed to light and air. We are moving in this direction, however, a formal apology by our government is still not a reality, and our first nations people deserve a formal acknowledgement so that their histories can finally be accepted as truth by the collective. The Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women’s crisis is a symptom of a larger sociological crisis. Can you imagine for a moment if slavery was never acknowledged, or if the holocaust’s existence was denied? How is it possible that the truth of our first nations stories have never been told and why are reparations limited to the “hush” money associated with the Casino’s on tribal land? Hopefully our government, and the citizens of the United Stated can come to terms with the pain and suffering of our first nations people, and we can work collectively to honor and heal through the truth, however painful, by creating an opening that we all need to walk through, together.

Works Cited

Brown, Alleen, and Michelle Latimer. “A New Film Examines Sexual Violence as a Feature of the Bakken Oil Boom.” The Intercept, 1 July 2018, theintercept.com/2018/07/01/nuucabakken-oil-boom-sexual-violence/.

Burnette, et al. “Historical Oppression, Resilience, and Transcendence: Can a Holistic Framework Help Explain Violence Experienced by Indigenous People?” OUP Academic, Oxford University Press, 23 Dec. 2016, academic.oup.com/sw/articleabstract/62/1/37/2447839.

CBS News. “William Barr to Announce Plan Addressing Crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 22 Nov. 2019, www.cbsnews.com/news/attorney-general-william-barr-plan-addressing-crisis-missingand-murdered-indigenous-people-today-2019-11-22/.

Chase , Marie. “Forced Will: Exploring the Connections Between Oil Extraction and Violence Against Women on a Great Northern Plains Reservation.” Https://Repository.usfca.edu, 14 Dec. 2018, repository.usfca.edu/.

Cook, Jesselyn, and Isaac Himmelman. “You Probably Never Heard About These 500 Missing And Murdered Women.” HuffPost, HuffPost, 15 Nov. 2018, www.huffpost.com/entry/missing-murdered-nativewomen_n_5beb0e48e4b044bbb1a99db0?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d 3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAJNMLrkII6RjLybvDBWqBBQdqxm 4FMqSasDdxfCTgIpRBd5U1AeAP7OuUrGj2nz72rj2mtLonqAq_v3Ams3MQPAFcrogkzDU9DWh17KGbjxgAx5FfpklBt-9VsYTSopndc5Ye2hb8P1sgZz36xEDPAWkhqxayzP1ATmUIE5h-A.

Crane-Murdoch, Sierra. “On Indian Land, Criminals Can Get Away With Almost Anything.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 27 Feb. 2013, www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/02/on-indian-land-criminals-can-get-awaywith-almost-anything/273391/.

Deer, Sarah. The Beginning and End of Rape: Confronting Sexual Violence in Native America. University of Minnesota Press, 2015.

“Executive Order on Establishing the Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives.” Indian Affairs, 2019, www.bia.gov/.

Kim, Meeri. “Study Finds That Fear Can Travel Quickly through Generations of Mice DNA.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 7 Dec. 2013,

www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/study-finds-that-fear-can-travelquickly-through-generations-of-mice-dna/2013/12/07/94dc97f2-5e8e-11e3-bc56c6ca94801fac_story.html.

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Lucchesi, Anita, and Abigail Echo-Hawk. “Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls .” 2019.

MacDougall, Ian. “Should Indian Reservations Give Local Cops Authority on Their Land?” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 10 Aug. 2017, www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/07/police-pine-ridge-indianreservation/534072/.

Monchalin, Lisa, et al. “Homicide and Indigenous Peoples in North America: A Structural Analysis.” Aggression and Violent Behavior, Pergamon, 31 Jan. 2019, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1359178917303245.

Nagle , Rebecca. “Trump Issues Order to Create Taskforce on Violence against Indigenous Women.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 26 Nov. 2019, www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/26/trump-executive-order-taskforce-violenceagainst-indigenous-women.

Nagle, Kathryn. “Lawmakers Can Address the MMIW Crisis. Will They?” Lawmakers Can Address the MMIW Crisis. Will They? (Lawmakers Are Failing to Address the Crisis of

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women) - High Country News – Know the West, 18 June 2019, www.hcn.org/issues/51.12/tribal-affairs-restoring-tribal-criminal-jurisdictionis-the-first-step-to-stopping-crisis.

Segers, Grace. “Trump Signs Executive Order Creating Task Force on Missing and Murdered Native Americans.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 26 Nov. 2019, www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-native-americans-president-to-sign-executive-order-fortask-force-on-missing-murdered-native-americans/.

“Sierra Club Announces Support for Savanna's Act, Joins Native-Led Movement for Justice for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women.” Sierra Club, 16 Aug. 2019, www.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2019/08/sierra-club-announces-support-for-savanna-sact-joins-native-led-movement-for.