Silver State Times

Nev. Governor Steve Sisolak (D-NV) recently proclaimed May 5 as the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Native Women and Girls.

According to a news release shared by the Nevada government, over 80,000 American Indians consisting of 87 tribal nations, colonies and urban residents call the state home. In 1965, the Nevada Indian Commission was established to examine social and economic dynamics relating to the well-being of the population in the state.   

‘’I’ve proclaimed May 5 as National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Native Women and Girls. Together, we can commemorate the lives of missing & murdered American Indian & Alaska Native women whose cases are both documented and undocumented,’’ Sisolak wrote in the proclamation.

The Nevada government reports that that there are at least four cases of missing or murdered Native American women and children that are still unsolved dating back to 2018. The report noted that 84% of native women suffer from violence in their lifetime and 96% report being victimized by someone who is not a member of the Indigenous community. The United States Department of Justice added that Native American women are 10 times more likely to victims of murder, compared to the national average.  

The news release reported that the Violence Against Women Act has been given the green light to continue operations until 2026. The law was initially created in 1994 in order to enhance federal judicial resources to safeguard women who have suffered violent trauma.