MISSING AND MURDERED INDIGENOUS RELATIVES: ANNUAL EVENT TO HONOR AND REMEMBER MMIR

May 29, 2026

Photos and story by Vivian LaMoore

According to the National Indigenous Women's Resource Center, the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women and relatives remains one of the most urgent issues affecting Tribal communities across the United States and Canada. In some communities, Native women experience homicide rates far above the national average. Many cases are connected to domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking, stalking, and other forms of violence that have disproportionately impacted Indigenous people for generations. In response, grassroots movements and advocates continue working at the local, national, and international levels to raise awareness, honor those who have been lost, and push for justice, healing, and safer communities for future generations.

The 2026 National Week of Action for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives took place May 4-8, 2026. In the Ojibwe language, "Gaagige-Mikwendaagoziwag" (gah-GHEE-gay-MICK-when-da-go-ZEE-wahg) means, "They will be remembered forever." The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Victim Services hosted the fifth annual MMIR event on Monday, May 4, 2026. Over 200 people participated in the event.

In 2019, the Minnesota Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) Task Force and Wilder Research provided a report to the state legislature. The report included mandates aimed at reducing and ending violence against indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people. As a result, the legislature created the MMIR Office to provide support and resources for affected indigenous families and communities. Minnesota signed into law the legislation to establish the first-in-the-nation MMIR Office in 2021.

The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension's Minnesota Crime Data Explorer shows that there were six reported Indigenous victims of homicide or non-negligent manslaughter in Minnesota last year. That accounts for 4.41 percent of all reported homicides or non-negligent manslaughters. In 2023 alone, the MMIR Office supported 13 cases with services and resources. Staff also conducted referrals or consults on eight additional cases.

See more photos of the MMIR event at Inaajimowin.com/galleries..