Senator Heitkamp Raises Awareness About Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women

She Encourages People To Post #NotInvisible On Social Media

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Heidi Heitkamp is recognizing Native American Heritage Month by launching a social media campaign about missing and murdered indigenous women.

Heitkamp said, “It can only end when we raise awareness. That’s why I’m asking you today to join me in making sure these women are not invisible. That we are not going to let this happen in our communities and in our country.”

Across the country, 84 percent of Native American women experience some kind of violence in their lifetime.

On some reservations, Native American women are murdered at 10 times the national average.

In 2016, North Dakota had 125 reported cases of missing Native women according to the National Crime Information Center, but numbers are likely much higher as cases are often under reported and data isn’t officially collected.

Heitkamp has introduced “Savanna’s Act”, named after slain Fargo woman Savanna Greywind, to keep Native women and girls safe.