Introduction
One hundred and thirty-five percent more likely to be within the list of unidentified on the NamUs Database; 4,754 cases as of 2021 in the Sovereign Bodies Institute Database of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW); (Hawes 184-207), (Moe.). Who are “they?” “They”, are our women and girls of native culture; an indigenous culture all over the United States and Canada. “They” are our native mothers, sisters, aunties, grandmothers and in some cases our babies. Here one minute and gone the next, left only with the questions and broken hearts of those they left behind. We hear the stories, but the endings are grim and often go without resolve.
Here are some theories about why so many go missing and to why so many are never found:
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Authorities just don’t care and use excuses of not enough resources
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The government doesn’t care enough about the epidemic
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Stereotypes
Let us uncover or review why these theories are the possible reasons to why the numbers continue to go up.
Native people have been stereotyped for many years. However, the government may have something to do with this stereotype that has been around for many years, and some natives succumb to their circumstances set forth by the government early on in history. Some natives manage to move beyond those stereotypes and make great livings for themselves and their families regardless of the stereotype or oppression that they or family members may have endured.
Character Analysis
This type of oppression has led many Native American people to live in poverty and to make unsavory choices to make a living and for survival. Written in “The sad legacy of control and neglect of Native Americans by the U.S. government began in earnest under the presidency of Andrew Jackson” (Kryzanek). Another remark by Kryzanek is “Once removed, the tribes sought to start a new life on makeshift reservations that were basically internment camps designed to leave the tribes with little chance of retaking their ancestral homelands” (Kryzanek). The native communities and the women and girls who come from or are currently living on these reservations or communities soon find themselves living up to those stereotypes with no other choices, they become victims to drugs, abuse, alcohol use and prostitution. “Currently, one in three Native Americans live in poverty with a median income of $23,000. Unemployment for Native Americans in 2022 was 11.1 percent, well above the national average” (Kryzanek). Some find themselves leaving their reservations or communities in hopes to find something different, and this a lot of times is due to the lack of resources or money to survive that they often turn to more of those unsavory choices outside their reservations and communities and often ultimately results in them missing and murdered; In the article written by Houghton, Dustin Monroe says “People are drawn off reservations because of instability, he said. Tribal government has a high turn around rate, which can lead to economic uncertainty because the majority of jobs are tied to tribal government” (Houghton). Poverty is one of the many reasons that many native women and people will make the choice to leave.
Arugumenative
Here is a story of a young native girl who by her choices and ways to survive poverty, she was in her families’ opinion written off because of activities she partook in. Alyssa McLemore at 21 years old was already raising a child, and active in prostitution. A year before she went missing, she was picked up for prostitution and charged. “Alyssa McLemore’s family had no idea she had gone missing under suspicious circumstances until Kent police showed up at her grandmother’s house. They said they had received a 911 call from the young woman, who asked for help before her phone went dead. The 911 call came in at 9:15 p.m. on April 9, 2009” (Green). Alyssa’s aunt, Tina Russell said “I just kind of feel like they wrote her off as a prostitute and they probably [thought] that, you know, she didn’t have family,” (McLean and Weisfeldt). Another woman, Rosenda Strong, from the Yakama Reservation was last seen leaving a casino in Toppenish, Washington; Strong was an avid drug user and her family feel that she may have just been rode of as just partying and using, Strong’s sister Cissy Strong-Reyes said, “tribal police were initially dismissive of the disappearance because her sister used drugs, “When I told the cops, they said, ‘well, she’s just probably partying, getting, you know, doing drugs”(McLean and Weisfeldt).These women faced adversities or setbacks every day that may have led them to making choices that had led them to becoming a part of the statistics.
However, on the other side of the spectrum Native American Women, are admired and cherished by their people in their native culture and today some of the most influential outside of their tribes. In Justo’s article on Native American Tribes: Honoring Women’s Roles, he says “Native American women have long been recognized as vital members of their communities, holding prominent positions in social, political, and spiritual realms. Their influence extends far beyond traditional gender roles, encompassing a wide range of responsibilities that contribute significantly to the strength and harmony of their tribes” (Justo). They are women of strength and wisdom and are often seen by those outside their communities as, fierce, stern, determined and intelligent. Justo, said in the article, “Native American women often hold positions of significant influence within their communities, leading social gatherings, mediating disputes, and providing guidance. Their voices are highly respected, and their wisdom is sought after in matters of community well-being and decision-making. Many tribes recognize women as matriarchs, responsible for maintaining family lineages and ensuring the transmission of ancestral knowledge” (Justo). Society views Native Women in many ways some good, some bad and some typical, but they are all people.
Many of those native women today are trailblazers and can be view in a positive way, they contribute to our society in several different ways and avenues in life not just in their culture or communities, but beyond. Today native women today are stepping out of that stereotype and made differences in their lives and many others lives They are setting a different standard. Jenn Harper for example she is trailblazer for native women in the beauty industry, the CEO of her own company “Cheekbone Beauty founder and CEO Jenn Harper, a proud Anishinaabe wife, mother and entrepreneur is making waves in the cosmetics industry” (Morin). Donna May Kimmaliardjuk the first Inuk heart surgeon, she grew up in Ottawa and excelled in school and then attended Queen’s University. In morin’s article it says that she, “At only 30-years-old, Donna May Kimmaliardjuk is Canada’s first Inuk heart surgeon. She is from Chesterfield Inlet, Nunavut, and her inspiration to become a doctor came when she learned at age 6 that her paternal grandfather died from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)” (Morin).
While some of these stereotypes can be true of Native American women, depending on their circumstances or historical oppressions past down, we can also say that those stereotypes also are encouragements for some Native American women to step out of those stereotypes and make a solid effort to be anything but a stereotype.
The number of Native American women who go missing is alarming and the numbers continue to rise; In the article written by Bonn, she states as a statistic, “In 2020 alone, there were 5,295 reports of missing American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls, according to the National Crime Information Center” (Bonn). There are theories why this not only is becoming an epidemic, but why is there not attention brought to the numbers that keep stacking up? Authorities claim not enough resources, but do not use that data systems in place for reporting; the systems are too time consuming and difficult, and jurisdiction lines blurred that nothing can be done at all? Does the government not care enough about the numbers and cases? Bonn also makes a comment on the crisis, “The true scope of this crisis unfortunately remains unknown: Advocates have long warned of a lack of comprehensive data from the U.S. government and states leading to concerns about the underreporting of case” (Bonn 1). Even though the government put into place a data collection system to report cases to, could the stereotypes placed on natives, reservations and communities precede the reports and authorities refrain from diving deep into many cases?
The first conspiracy is of Ashley Loring HeavyRunner and another is of Benita Long; these are two cases in which it seems as though authorities just did not care about the disappearances of these two women or the lack of resources was to blame for them never being found. Annita Lucchesi, a doctoral student at the University of Lethbridge in Southern Alberta, Canada; said "There are so many bureaucratic cracks that Native women and girls are not only falling through but actually pushed through" (Simon). Both ladies have very different backgrounds. HeavyRunner according to her family was an accomplished student and, on her way, to becoming successful in life. In the article written by Evan Simon’s, Hopper, McNiff and Yang a statement is made by boyfriend Calvin DeRouche said, “Known for her contagious smile, Ashley Loring was a star athlete in high school and excelled at the Blackfeet Community College where she studied the environment” (Simon). Benita, according to Benita’s cousin Loni Long, “As an adult who struggled with addiction and occasional homelessness, she relied on those monthly payments to keep her afloat” (Diaz, and McMillian). Both their cases either seem to just fall to the waist side or become reports that went cold because of the lack of evidence, reporting, or it was just chalked up to be their normal activities to go missing at times.
These native women come from all kinds of backgrounds, and it seems as though that being either good or bad makes no difference in whether you are at risk to become missing. Ashley Loring HeavyRunner was described as bright and determined; she hoped to help her tribe anyway that she could when she graduated college She was enrolled in her community college, but was planning to transfer to the University that her sister was attended: “Ashley went missing in June 2017 from the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana. Her sister said she reached out to the Bureau of Indian Affairs for help, but after nine months of searching, she received no new information. The FBI didn’t step in until March 2018, she added. Over a year since her disappearance, Loring HeavyRunner is still missing” (Blair, and Zoledziowski). What does it all mean?
In the case of Benita Long in the article written on Long by Diaz and McMillian, “In the early spring of 2022, members of her family realized that no one had heard from Benita in weeks and that the monthly payments she received as a member of Yakama Nation had sat in her account, untouched, for two months” (Diaz, and McMillian). Benita Long, age 40, was reported missing to the Yakama Nation police, but the investigation has gone cold (Diaz, and McMillian). As far as anyone knows, she was last seen on March 26, 2022, outside a motel in Toppenish, Washington, not far from the Yakama Nation reservation (Diaz, and McMillian). It is an area where many others have disappeared (Diaz, and McMillian). Benita’s family, unlike many other native families who members go missing feel that law authorities did not prioritize her case from the beginning and that her lifestyle was to blame for them not taking her case serious. Family learned her case never made onto the list of missing people, only because of NPR's reporting. The National Institute of Justice reports that, “Benita is among the thousands of people whose cases never made it into the system” (Diaz and McMillian).
In the cases of Long and Heavy Runner, many families hesitate to report their missing family members. In the past families have questioned whether anything could be done. Jurisdictions are one of the reasons that many cases become confusing and difficult for authorities. In article Benita Long Disappearance, So Why Wasn’t She Added to This Missing Person Database, Echo-Hawk says, “Many native people hesitate to report their loved ones missing to the police due to distrust in authorities or confusion over who has jurisdiction leading families to conduct their own investigations” (Diaz, and McMillian). These blurred lines cause distrust in the authorities.
Conclusion
A program developed by the government that is set up to help track long-term missing persons and for local law enforcement agencies to use to report missing people is known as NamUs (National Missing and Unidentified Persons System), (Diaz, and McMillian). However, the agencies report saying that the program is time-consuming and difficult to use (Diaz, and McMillian). Tina Drain, a former missing-persons detective with the Seattle Police Department, "But it's only as effective as [the] number of agencies and medical examiners and coroners who actively participate," she said (Diaz, and McMillian).
These cases are just a few of thousands of cases that go unsolved. Native women are 135 percent likely to be within the list of unidentified on the NamUs Database; 4,754 cases as of 2021 in the Sovereign Bodies Institute Database of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW); (Hawes 184-207), (Moe.). The true scope of this crisis unfortunately remains unknown: Advocates have long warned of a lack of comprehensive data from the U.S. government and states leading to concerns about the underreporting of cases. “UCLA professor Lauren van Schilfgaarde points out that missing Indigenous cases are often disregarded by law enforcement and lost in bureaucratic gaps concerning which local or federal agencies should investigate. She warns that this is why Indigenous women have become targets for everything from murder and violence to sex trafficking” (Bonn). What more can be done to help in this crisis and is the government and other authorities making this a priority and if not shouldn’t they.
The number of Native American women who go missing is alarming and the numbers continue to rise; in the article written by Bonn, she states as a statistic, “In 2020 alone, there were 5,295 reports of missing American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls, according to the National Crime Information Center” (Bonn). These cases are just a few of thousands of cases that go unsolved. Native women are 135 percent likely to be within the list of unidentified on the NamUs Database; 4,754 cases as of 2021 in the Sovereign Bodies Institute Database of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) (Hawes 184-207), (Moe.). The true scope of this crisis unfortunately remains unknown: Advocates have long warned of a lack of comprehensive data from the U.S. government and states leading to concerns about the underreporting of cases: as the University of California (UCLA) professor Lauren van Schilfgaarde points out in the article “Indigenous Women Are Going Missing at Alarming Rates-Here’s Why You Haven’t Heard About Them” (Bonn). Also written is, “that missing Indigenous cases are often disregarded by law enforcement and lost in bureaucratic gaps concerning which local or federal agencies should investigate. She warns that this is why Indigenous women have become targets for everything from murder and violence to sex trafficking” states Bonn. (Bonn).
What we are seeing as the years pass by is a rise in numbers of missing native women and the need for continued attention being brought to this crisis. What more can be done to help, and is the government and other authorities making this a priority and if not shouldn’t they?
Work Cited
Blair, Garet, and Anya Zoledziowski. “Cases of Missing and Murdered Native American Women Challenge Police, Courts.” Cronkite News, 24 Aug. 2018, https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/2018/08/24/cases-of-missing-and-murdered-native-american-women-challenge-police-courts/.
Bonn, Bly Tess. “Indigenous Women Are Going Missing at Alarming Rates-Here’s Why You Haven’t Heard About Them.” Katie Couric Media, 4 Oct. 2023, https://katiecouric.com/news/why-are-indigenous-women-going-missing-and-cases-ignored/
Diaz, Jaclyn, and Nick McMillian. “Benita Long Disappeared, So Why Wasn’t She Added to This Missing Person Database?” NPR, 10 Mar. 2025, https://www.npr.org/2025/03/10/nx-s1-5057412/missing-persons-indigenous-mmiw-namus-police-database.
Eason, Arianne E., Laura M. Brady, and Stephanie A. Fryberg. “Reclaiming Representations & Interrupting the Cycle of Bias Against Native Americans.” Daedalus, vol. 147, no.2, Spring 2018, pp.1-18, independent audit Justo, “Native American Tribes: Honoring Women’s Roles” Native Tribe Info, 21, Nov. 2024, https://nativetribe.info/native-american-tribes-honoring-womens-roles/.
Green, Sara Jean. “A Kent Women Called 911, Then Disappeared. That was 10 Years Ago. Her Family and Police Want to Find Her.” The Seattle Times, 5 Apr. 2019, https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/law-justice/a-kent-woman-called-911-then-disappeared-that-was-10-years-ago-her-family-and-police-want-to-find-her/.
Hawes, Morgan B., Danielle C. Slakoff, and Nikolay Anguelov. "Understanding the missing and murdered indigenous women crisis: An analysis of the NamUs database." Criminal justice policy review 34.2 (2023): 184-207.
Houghton, Katheryn. “Between Nations: Choosing to Live On or Off Reservations.” NATIVEs 2014 Driving Forces: Innovations on Montana’s Reservations, Native News, 2014, https://nativenews.jour.umt.edu/2014/?page_id=171.
Justo, “Native American Tribes: Honoring Women’s Roles.” Native Tribe FAQ, 21, Nov 2024, https://nativetribe.info/native-american-tribes-honoring-womens-roles/.
Kryzanek, Michael. “The United States’ Treatment of Native Americans.” Bridgewater State University, 23, Jan. 2023, https://www.bridgew.edu/stories/2023/united-states-treatment-native-americans. Accessed 28 Mar. 2025.
McLean, Scot, and Sara Weisfeldt. “Why Do So Many Native American Go Missing? Congress Aiming to Find Out.” CNN, 9 Apr. 2019, https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/09/us/native-american-murdered-missing-women/index.html
Moe, Beth. “‘Silent Crisis’ - Thousands of Missing and Murdered Native Americans: Professor Lewerenz Is Quoted.” North Dakota Law, 18 Oct. 2022, https://blogs.und.edu/ndlaw/2022/10/silent-crisis-thousands-of-missing-and-murdered-native-americans-professor-lewerenz-is-quoted/.
Morin, Brandi, “Meet 10 Indigenous Women Who Are Making the World a Better Place.” ICT News, 1 July 2019, https://ictnews.org/culture/meet-10-indigenous-women-who-are-making-the-world-a-better-place.
Simon, Evan, Jessica Hopper, Eamon McNiff, and Allie Yang, “No Answers 2 Years After 20 Year-Old Student Vanishes-A Single Case in an Epidemic in American Native Communities.” ABC News, 8 Oct. 2019, https://abcnews.go.com/US/answers-years-20-year-student-vanishes-case-epidemic/story?id=65344265.