WA leaders meet to address missing, murdered Indigenous. Cases high in Pierce, King County

Washington state is home to 29 federally-recognized tribal nations, but also has a large number of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People (MMIWP). In fact, as of May 1, there were 142 native people missing in the state, among the highest in the nation.

In response to the crisis, which impacts Tacoma and Seattle residents disproportionately in Washington state, Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) will meet with tribal leaders, the head of the Seattle Indian Health Board and family members of missing Indigenous people on Friday.

The meeting is part of the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People (MMIWP) to address the epidemic and its impacts in the Pacific Northwest. It will be livestreamed and posted to Cantwell’s video feed.

According to the Seattle Indian Health Board, which studied more than 70 urban areas in the United States, Seattle and Tacoma have some of the highest rates of MMIWP.

Despite this, Washington state only has two federal investigators in the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Missing and Murdered Unit.

The National Day of Awareness was established in 2017, wrapping up the National Week of Action for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women.

The U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said that the PNW needs more federal resources to combat this crisis in a conversation with Sen. Cantwell earlier this week.

The press conference is scheduled for noon on May 5 at the Seattle Indian Health Board building.

This story was originally published May 5, 2023 at 12:10 PM with the headline "WA leaders meet to address missing, murdered Indigenous. Cases high in Pierce, King County."