A resolution expressing support for the designation of May 5, 2025, as the "National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls".
This is a Senate resolution (S. Res. 200) introduced in the 119th Congress that expresses support for designating May 5, 2025, as the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG). It cites a range of background data on violence against American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women, and notes related federal efforts (such as Operation Lady Justice, Savanna’s Act, Not Invisible Act, and the creation of a Missing and Murdered Unit within the Bureau of Indian Affairs). The resolution states the Senate’s support for the designation, urges people and groups to commemorate and show solidarity with victims’ families, recommends that the Department of Justice’s National Institute of Justice commission a new study to refresh MMIWG statistics, and acknowledges that more work is needed to address this nationwide crisis. As a resolution, it is a symbolic expression of support rather than new law or funding.
Key Points
- 1Expresses Senate support for designating May 5, 2025, as the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
- 2Calls on the public and interested groups to commemorate the victims and demonstrate solidarity with their families.
- 3Recommends that the National Institute of Justice commission a new study to update statistics on missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, given the time elapsed since the 2016 study.
- 4Recognizes ongoing efforts and the need for continued action beyond what has already been done.
- 5Relies on and references existing data and programs (e.g., high violence rates against AI/AN women, missing persons and homicide data, Operation Lady Justice, Savanna’s Act, Not Invisible Act, and the BIA Missing and Murdered Unit) to frame the issue.