International Women’s Day 2019

International Women’s Day is a global day dedicated to celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women and promoting action for further social transformation.

This year, the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center (NIWRC) and NRCDV partner to honor the survival and resilience of our Indigenous sisters, grandmothers, mothers, daughters, and aunties, despite enduring generations of forced colonization and genocide. Homicide is a leading cause of death for Native women, and compared to their white counterparts, Native women are five times as likely to have experienced physical violence by a non-Native intimate partner.

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) continues to be a serious crisis within the United States. Together, we call for prayer and healing in response to this violence, but we also demand meaningful legislative reforms that remove barriers to safety for Indian women by recognizing and strengthening the sovereign ability of all tribal nations to protect Indian women and their children.

On International Women’s Day and beyond, NRCDV stands with NIWRC as allies, both Native and non-Native, as relatives, to envision a return to Indigenous values in the United States. We thank the families of MMIWG victims that advocate for their loved ones, as well as the tireless advocates and allies that continue the hard and meaningful work to provide safety to Native women. We join together to call upon the United States and its people to remember that women are sacred and must be treated with dignity and respect.

At NRCDV we commemorate International Women’s Day each year with artwork honoring the struggles and successes of women around the world. This year’s featured piece, “The Silenced Sister” was created by artist Cody Hammer, Member of the Cherokee Nation and descendant of the Muskogee Creek Nation.

The Silenced Sister 

“I care deeply about this topic as a father, son, and husband of Indigenous women. Bringing awareness to these cases and legislation means that my daughters might have a safer future.
A future where they aren’t scared of being taken or find out that someone they care for has been taken. MMIWG is the reason why I protect my family to the best of my abilities and advocate for the fallen sisters that can’t advocate for themselves.

This image is very strong and close to my heart. I highlighted the woman to represent the woman/girl who was silenced and was always in the crowd.”

For more on the artist, check on Facebook @ReducedLunchPhotography or Instagram @thecodyhammer

From International Women’s Day on March 8th to the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Native Women and Girls on May 5th, and throughout the rest of the year, let’s continue to bring visibility to this crisis and work together for peace, justice, and equity.

On February 14^th, hundreds of people gathered in Duluth, Minnesota to honor
and raise critical awareness about the largely invisible crisis of missing and murdered
Indigenous girls and women at the annual March for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. Image from Move to End Violence.