IV 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 950 

Expressing support for the designation of May 5, 2020, as the ‘‘National 

Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls’’. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 5, 2020 

Ms. HAALAND (for herself, Ms. DAVIDS of Kansas, Mr. KILMER, Mrs. 

NAPOLITANO, Mr. COLE, Ms. KENDRA S. HORN of Oklahoma, Mr. 

O’HALLERAN, Mr. STANTON, Mr. LARSEN of Washington, Ms. BASS, Mr. 

JOYCE of Ohio, Mr. KIND, Ms. JAYAPAL, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. 

GALLEGO, Ms. MOORE, Mr. COOK, Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. MULLIN, Ms. 

TORRES SMALL of New Mexico, Mr. POCAN, Ms. DELBENE, and Ms. 

MCCOLLUM) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Natural Resources 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing support for the designation of May 5, 2020, 

as the ‘‘National Day of Awareness for Missing and 

Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls’’. 

Whereas American Indians and Alaska Natives are 2.5 times 

more likely to experience violent crimes and at least 2 

times more likely to experience rape or sexual assault 

crimes compared to any other group of people in the 

United States; 

Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has 

determined that homicide is the third leading cause of 

death among American Indian and Alaska Native women 


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•HRES 950 IH 

between 10 and 24 years of age and the fifth leading 

cause of death for American Indian and Alaska Native 

women between 25 and 34 years of age; 

Whereas in some Tribal communities, American Indian 

women face murder rates that are more than 10 times 

the national average; 

Whereas there is little data that exists on the number of 

missing and murdered Native women and girls in the 

United States due to complex jurisdictional issues at the 

Tribal, State, and Federal levels; 

Whereas investigation into cases of missing and murdered 

Native women and girls is made difficult for Tribal law 

enforcement agencies due to a lack of resources and the 

complex jurisdictional scheme that exists in Indian country; 

Whereas violence as a lived experience of Native women exists 

in less pressing times, and it is expected that the 

COVID–19 pandemic will increase the prevalence of violence that is experienced by Native women by exacerbating already existing issues including: lack of safe 

housing for victims, lack of space in shelters for victims 

to maintain safe social distancing, lack of personal protective equipment for staff of Tribal shelters and victim 

services programs, limited transportation for victims, and 

lack of access to adequate health care; 

Whereas the Administration for Native Americans reports 

that American Indian, Alaska Native, and Pacific Islander women and girls have a heightened risk for sex 

trafficking, and Native women continue to go missing 

and murdered across the country at disproportionate 

rates, and COVID–19 is likely to exacerbate this national 


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•HRES 950 IH 

injustice due to the virus’ impact on already limited justice, health, and advocacy responses; 

Whereas the current funding available in Indian country is 

inadequate to address the needs of victims, from the provision of basic, emergency services and responses to more 

comprehensive, long-term services in normal times, and 

even less so during a pandemic such as COVID–19; and 

Whereas without recognition of this crisis and adequate Federal assistance and improved distribution of lifesaving resources for Indian Tribes, Indigenous women will continue to experience disproportionate rates of violence, and 

go missing and be murdered at the highest rates in the 

country: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) expresses support for the designation of the 

3 ‘‘National Day of Awareness for Missing and Mur4 dered Native Women and Girls’’; and 

5 (2) calls on the people of the United States and 

6 interested groups— 

7 (A) to commemorate the lives of missing 

8 and murdered American Indian and Alaska Na9 tive women whose cases are documented and 

10 undocumented in public records and the media; 

11 and 

12 (B) to demonstrate solidarity with the fam13 ilies of victims in light of these tragedies. 

Æ 


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