Daines Bill to Establish National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Native Women and Girls Passes Senate

Statement

This week, the U.S. Senate passed Senator Steve Daines' bill to recognize May 5th as the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Native Women and Girls.

Daines introduced the legislation to honor the memory of Hanna Harris, a member of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe who was murdered in July 2013. The resolution commemorates the lives of all American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls who have gone missing or been murdered.

"Tragically, Hanna Harris is just one of the many native women who go missing or are senselessly murdered," said Daines. "We must do more to call attention to this epidemic and protect vulnerable communities."

Epidemic of Missing or Murdered Native Women:

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2015, homicide ranged from the second to seventh leading cause of death for American Indian and Alaska Native females between 1 and 39 years of age.
During this time, homicide remained a leading cause of death for most American Indian and Alaska Native females between 40 and 64 years of age.
According to the Department of Justice, in some tribal communities, American Indian women face murder rates that are more than 10 times the national average.

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