Mayoral Proclamation - The Murdered & Missing Indigenous Women Awareness Day - 02.14.2015

WHEREAS, The Cities of Moorhead, Dilworth, Fargo and West Fargo join with the efforts by Canada to spur awareness in the region for murdered and missing Indigenous women; and

WHEREAS, More than 1,181 Native women and girls have been reported missing or have been murdered in Canada since 1980; and while there is not a comprehensive estimate of Indigenous women who are missing and murdered in the United States, many factors contribute to this epidemic such fear, stigma, legal barriers, racism, sexism, and the devastating levels of violence in the US; and

WHEREAS, According to the US Department of Justice, nearly half of all Native American women have been raped, beaten, or stalked by an intimate partner and Native American women are 2.5 times more likely to experience sexual assault crimes compared to all other races; and

WHEREAS, For over 20 years there have been marches, events and awareness raising efforts throughout Canada on Valentine’s Day, such as the Women’s Memorial March, the Stolen Sisters Movement, Sisters in Spirit, Families of Sisters in Spirit and the Walking With Our Sisters exhibit; and

WHEREAS, The Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women Awareness Day seeks to build upon the support of these efforts in Canada by increasing awareness in the United States of the Indigenous women and girls who have not had the proper attention or justice; and

WHEREAS, The Cities of Moorhead, Dilworth, Fargo and West Fargo join those fighting for this cause to promote a greater awareness of this disparity in Native communities and call for more resources and action to address the colonial gender based violence.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That We, Del Rae Williams, Mayor of Moorhead; Chad Olson, Mayor of Dilworth; Tim Mahoney, Mayor of Fargo and Richard Mattern, Mayor of West Fargo do hereby proclaim February 14, 2015, to be the Murdered & Missing Indigenous Women Awareness Day in the Cities of Moorhead and Dilworth, Minnesota, and Fargo and West Fargo, North Dakota and call upon the citizens to observe this day with appropriate programs and activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, we have hereto set our hands and caused the Official Seals of the Cities of Moorhead and Dilworth, State of Minnesota, and Fargo and West Fargo, State of North Dakota to be affixed to this proclamation this 14th day of February, 2015.