According to multiple studies, a significant majority – nearly 85% – of Indigenous women nationwide experience violence, including 56% who have experienced sexual violence.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 40% of American Indian and Alaska Native women are raped in their lifetime.

For Indigenous women between the ages of 10 and 24, homicide is the No. 3 leading cause of death. For Indigenous women ages 25 to 24, it is the fifth leading cause of death.

Some personal stories behind these statistics were shared on Capitol Hill last week. The House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies conducted hearings on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women.

Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, called the hearing as part of the House Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, which oversees funding for the Department of Interior.

“Forty percent of all victims of sex trafficking are identified as American Indian and Alaska Native women,” Chairman Mike Simpson said. “In 2023, over 5,800 American Indian and Alaska Native females were missing – and 74% were children. This is tragic and unacceptable.”

Congress approved funding to address the violence hurting Native populations. But it has not taken effect yet. Simpson said that, as part of the FY2025 House Interior appropriations bill, the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ public safety and justice programs received a $191 million increase, including an additional $141 million for criminal investigation and police services.

Simpson said the bill also provided an additional $13.5 million for a total of $30 million for the missing and murdered Indigenous women’s initiative, which focuses on helping address the MMIP crisis, including resources for criminal investigators, software platforms, and evidence recovery equipment.

“These steps are just the beginning,” he said.