Governor Proclaims Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women 2021

WHEREAS, North Carolina is home to a population of more than 122,000 American Indians, the largest east of the Mississippi, and has eight historic tribes: Coharie, Eastern Band of Cherokee, Haliwa-Saponi, Lumbee, Meherrin, Occaneechi Band of Saponi, Sappony, and Waccamaw-Siouan; in accordance with Chapter 1E of the North Carolina General Statutes, and N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 71A-3 – 7.2, these tribes are legally recognized by the State of North Carolina; and

WHEREAS, the North Carolina Commission of Indian Affairs was created in 1971 by the North Carolina General Assembly to advocate for local, regional, and national American Indian concerns; and

WHEREAS, the Violence Against Women Act, also known as VAWA, became federal law on September 13, 1994, and sought to expand judicial resources to combat violence against women and provide protection to women who are victims of violent abuse; VAWA was subsequently reauthorized in 2000, 2005, and 2013; and

WHEREAS, studies show that American Indians and Alaska Natives are almost three times more likely to experience violent crimes and at least two times more likely to experience rape or sexual assault crimes than other races; because of this disproportionate violence against indigenous women, Title IX—Safety for Indian Women is included in the Violence Against Women Act; and

WHEREAS, according to a study conducted on behalf of the United States Department of Justice, in some tribal communities, indigenous women face murder rates that are roughly ten times the national average; the National Institute of Justice estimates that 84 percent of indigenous women experience violence in their lifetime; and

WHEREAS, through the efforts of surviving families, the United States Senate, by resolution, designated May 5, 2017, as the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Native Women and Girls, calling people to commemorate the lives of missing and murdered American Indian and Alaska Native women whose cases are documented and undocumented in public records and the media, and to demonstrate solidarity with the families of victims in light of those tragedies; and

WHEREAS, North Carolina has around 90 unsolved cases of missing or murdered indigenous women and children dating back to 1994;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, ROY COOPER, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim May 5, 2021, as the “DAY OF AWARENESS FOR MISSING AND MURDERED INDIGENOUS WOMEN” in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.