The crisis of Missing and murdered indigenous women (MMIW) is deeply connected to the history of indigenous peoples in this country. For generations indigenous communities have endured colonization, forced removal from their ancestral lands, and policies aimed at erasing their cultures and identities.
Indian removal act 1830: forced relocation of thousands of Native Americans from ancestral lands, leads to mass deaths
trial of terars: Forced migration of the cherokee Nation and other tribe, resulting in thousands of death
Native Americans resistance against U.S military effort is suppressed: forced assimilation policies begin
boarding schools Late (1800-1900s)
Indigenous children are taken from their families and placed in boarding schools where they are stripped of their culture and language.
Dawes act 1887:
aimed to assimilate Native Americans by dividing tribal lands into individual allotments, leading to significant loss of land
Indian citizenship act 1924
Native Americans are granted U.S. citizenship , but many still face dissemination and legal barriers
termination policy 1950's
Us government attempts to end the recognition of native American tribes and dissolve tribal lands
Historical events like colonization, forced assimilation and government policies that controlled indigenous lives, worked together to weaken Indigenous communities, and erase Native women's roles. Dehumanizing native women replacing them with stereotypes of powerlessness dependency, or hypersextualization made them appear as disposable. Still contributes to how they are overlooked blamed and undervalued in society today, the loss of land, culture, and identity made indigenous women more vulnerable to violence and less likely to be protected or believed.
violent
peter pan
costumes
romanticizing pocahontas
Because of this History, indigenous women experience violence and disappearances at rates far higher than other groups. understanding this history helps us see why the crisis exist and why addressing it requires justice, healing nd respect for indigenous sovereignty and culture.