Indigenous in the News: "Silent No More: A Song for MMIW, Gary Small and Patty Davis Tribute"
“Joining us today are two incredibly talented and passionate artists using their voices to bring attention to an urgent and heartbreaking issue. Gary Small, a four-time Native American Music Awards recipient of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, teams up with acclaimed singer-songwriter Patty Davis of the Comanche Nation. Together, they’ve created a powerful new song titled Silent No More, dedicated to raising awareness about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women.
For more information or to obtain a broadcast-ready MP3 for Indigenous radio stations and programs, you can contact them at 307-674-4205.
“Every year, thousands of Indigenous women and girls go missing or are murdered across North America. In the U.S., the violence rate against Native women is over ten times the national average in some areas—yet most of these cases receive little attention and often go unsolved. The crisis is real, and it’s ongoing. We urge you to learn more, speak out, and support organizations fighting for justice. Let’s raise our voices for those who can’t. Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women—we will not forget.“
Indigenous women face murder rates more than 10 times the national average in some U.S. regions. In Canada, Indigenous women make up 4% of the population, but over 16% of all female homicide victims. Thousands of Indigenous women and girls have gone missing or been murdered over the past few decades—many cases remain unsolved or under-investigated.
According to a report by the Urban Indian Health Institute, 5,712 cases of missing Indigenous women were reported in 2016—but only 116 were logged in the Department of Justice database. Many Indigenous women disappear in urban areas, where jurisdictional confusion between local, state, tribal, and federal authorities hampers investigations. Major contributing factors include systemic racism, violence tied to resource extraction zones, human trafficking, and lack of proper law enforcement coordination.
The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls released a landmark report in 2019, calling the crisis a “Canadian genocide.” The inquiry identified over 1,200 confirmed cases, but Indigenous organizations estimate the number is much higher—possibly over 4,000. Indigenous women are 12 times more likely to go missing or be murdered than non-Indigenous women.
Colonial violence, intergenerational trauma, poverty, and gender-based violence are deeply rooted factors. Data collection is poor, contributing to lack of accountability and public awareness. There’s often jurisdictional conflict between tribal and non-tribal law enforcement, especially in cross-border or off-reservation cases.
Grassroots movements like MMIWG2S, Native Women’s Association of Canada, and NIWRC have led awareness campaigns, vigils, and advocacy for policy change. May 5 is recognized as the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women in the U.S., also known as Red Dress Day in Canada.
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