Wear Red Thursday To Recognize Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women

PIERCE COUNTY, WA — May 5 is the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, and Pierce County is asking residents to participate by wearing red for the day.

Indigenous women and people go missing and are murdered at rates higher than any other ethnic group in the United States. Indigenous people make up 17 percent of missing people in Washington state, but are only 1.6 percent of the state's population. Indigenous women in Washington are also over four times more likely to go missing than white women, a study by the Urban Indian Health Institute in Seattle found. They are also two and a half times more likely to experience sexual assault, and nearly half of Indigenous women in America have been raped, beaten, or stalked, according to state data.

"You can help raise awareness of this scourge in our community by wearing red this Thursday to honor and remember the women who have lost their lives or gone missing," the county said in a news release. "The red dress is an iconic and respectful symbol of the power and dignity of Native women."

The county is also encouraging residents to learn more about the state's anti-human trafficking efforts, and how they can get involved or help out. State leaders say they are working to address the issue. One of the latest solutions was the creation of a brand new, first-in-the-nation alert system for missing or endangered Indigenous women.

"Too many Indigenous mothers, sisters, wives and daughters have been torn from their families and their children raised without mothers," said Rep. Debra Lekanoff (D-Anacortes) who sponsored the legislation. "This crisis impacts every one of our families and communities and it takes collaboration among all governing bodies, law enforcement and media to bring awareness and stop these horrific crimes."

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