[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 368 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 368

     Expressing support for the designation of May 5, 2021, as the 
 ``National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women 
                              and Girls''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 4, 2021

  Mr. Grijalva (for himself, Ms. Norton, Mr. Kilmer, Mr. Gallego, Mr. 
    Horsford, Ms. Lee of California, Mr. Stanton, Ms. McCollum, Ms. 
DelBene, Mr. Soto, Ms. Leger Fernandez, Mr. Blumenauer, Mr. Pocan, and 
  Ms. Davids of Kansas) submitted the following resolution; which was 
             referred to the Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
     Expressing support for the designation of May 5, 2021, 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 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 Native Hawaiians experience a disproportionately high rate of human 
        trafficking with 64 percent of human trafficking victims in the State of 
        Hawai'i identifying as at least part Native Hawaiian;
Whereas American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls have a heightened risk 
        for sex trafficking and continue to go missing and murdered across the 
        country at disproportionate rates;
Whereas American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian victims of violence 
        include women and girls, children, men, two-spirit individuals, and 
        elders;
Whereas the current spectrum of violence against American Indian and Alaska 
        Native women is exacerbated by the systemic barriers embedded within the 
        Federal Government that have created living conditions where women are 
        vulnerable to violence;
Whereas there is little data that exists on the number of missing and murdered 
        American Indian and Alaska 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 American Indian and 
        Alaska 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 against American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls 
        exists in less pressing times, and the COVID-19 pandemic has increased 
        the prevalence of violence by exacerbating already existing issues 
        including: lack of safe housing, lack of space in to maintain COVID-19 
        safety protocols, lack of personal protective equipment for staff at 
        Tribal shelters and victim services programs, limited transportation to 
        shelters, and lack of access to life-saving health care;
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 the COVID-19 pandemic;
Whereas Federal agencies must implement the Not Invisible Act and Savanna's Act 
        and work with the Department of the Interior's Missing & Murdered Unit 
        to prioritize investigations of missing and murdered American Indians 
        and Alaska Natives; and
Whereas without recognition of this crisis and adequate Federal assistance and 
        improved distribution of lifesaving resources for Tribal governments, 
        American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls 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
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) expresses support for the designation of the ``National 
        Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and 
        Girls''; and
            (2) calls on the people of the United States and interested 
        groups--
                    (A) to commemorate the lives of missing and 
                murdered American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native 
                Hawaiian women and girls whose cases are documented and 
                undocumented in public records and the media; and
                    (B) to demonstrate solidarity with the families of 
                victims in light of these tragedies.
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