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“In Montana, Native Americans are nearly four times more likely to be victims of homicide than the general population, but a lack of available, consistent data obscures from public view the clear extent and causes of what is increasingly being labeled a crisis.
“We just get so used to seeing it, you just become numb and it becomes normal,” said Diana Burd, a Blackfeet woman who has felt the issue strike repeatedly in Browning, the reservation’s largest town. “But when you step back and look at how bad it is, I feel like that isn’t normal.”
Like hundreds of indigenous families in Montana, Burd’s has been shaped in part by a long-term cycle of violence and death.
Yet for policymakers, researchers, advocates and the public, reaching a deeper understanding of the issue and its causes is thwarted by the absence of consistent or comprehensive data. A growing movement to reduce the rates of missing and murdered Native Americans has increasingly identified the lack of data as a central stumbling block to finding solutions.”
– Independent Record, Native American homicide rates are soaring, but causes aren’t clear due to inconsistent data.
“In Montana, Native Americans are just 6.7% of the total population, but make up 26% of missing persons cases. The problem has persisted for generations, and many of the cases remain unsolved. The causes are numerous and complex, and any lasting solutions have been elusive.
The Gazette is exploring the reasons the crisis has persisted, and what can be done about it. Throughout the series, we will also profile many missing and murdered women and girls.
And, we need your help. We welcome your tips, suggestions and feedback at billingsgazette.com/mmiwtips.
For previous Gazette reporting of the issue, visit billingsgazette.com/mmiw.”
– Independent Record (Editor’s Note), Editor’s Note.
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Indian Country 52
Indian Country 52 is a weekly project by David Bernie that uses the medium of posters that promote issues and stories in Indian Country. Follow the series: Indian Country 52
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This work by David Bernie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. You may download, share, and post the images under the condition that the works are attributed to the artist.
