ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP/KGUN) — From the U.S. capitol to American Southwest Indigenous communities, top government officials, family members and advocates are gathering as part of a call to action to address the ongoing problem of violence against Indigenous women and children.
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland is commemorating the day Wednesday as female motorcyclists take to the streets in Phoenix and advocates use social media to raise awareness.
As part of the Washington ceremony, a red memorial shawl with the names of missing and slain Indigenous women was draped across a long table to remember the lives behind what Haaland called alarming and unacceptable statistics.
More names were added Wednesday.
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Congressman Raul Grijalva introduced a resolution Wednesday that would designate May 5 as a National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. The bill is backed by a group of 17 lawmakers in Congress -- 16 Democrats and Republican Rep. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma.
Click here to read the full resolution.
