May 5th is the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIW).

The day is recognized nationally.

It is a day dedicated to raising awareness and acknowledging the violence and injustices faced by Indigenous People, particularly the high rates of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. The day serves as a call to action to address the crisis and ensure justice, especially for Native women and girls who face murder rates more than ten times the national average. The day honors the memory of Hanna Harris, a Northern Cheyenne Tribal member, who went missing in 2013. The police were notified and did nothing. The family organized their own search party and four days later they found Hanna had been raped, beaten to death and “discarded like a piece of trash.” Hanna’s birthday is May 5th.

Sr. Jean Glach, OP (Peace), ministers among the Northern Cheyenne on their reservation in Montana and walks with countless Native women who are rising up to say, “No More Stolen Sisters.” Jean shared Hanna’s story in the Las Casas 2024 Fall newsletter. To read the full article, visit dominicansistersconference.org/lascasas, scroll to newsletters and select the 2024 Fall tab or click this link.

People often wear red clothing on the day or clothing with the image of a red handprint. The red handprint over the mouth has become the symbol of the movement. It stands for all the missing sisters whose voices are no longer heard and the silence of the media and law enforcement in the midst of this crisis. Consider wearing RED on May 5 and remember Sr. Jean Glach, OP (Peace) and the Native People she walks with each day as well as all the Dominicans who walk with Native People on reservations and in the city. For further reading: search "No More Stolen Sisters" on your Internet browser of choice.