Terms to know about the Indigenous community:

MMIWGT2S+
Missing and murdered indigenous women, girls, trans and two-spirited relatives
MMIWGT2S+ describes an epidemic of ongoing colonial violence and genocide against indigenous women, girls, trans and two-spirited people occurring across North America.
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The reality exists as a product of centuries of forced colonization on Indigenous lands and bodies, continued dehumanization, fetishization and hyper-sexualization of Indigenous people, as well as the left of Indigenous land and sovereignty*

*Source: Coalition to stop violence-

against native americans.

These are built into the Eurocentric settler-colonial systems and mindsets.

Native women and Two-spirit relatives
Many Native communities were and still are matrilineal, where their communities continue to be led and thrive by Indigenous women. Historically, Native women were providers, held important positions of great status and power, educated the-

youth of communities in tradition practices and much more.
Powerful feminine figures also appear in many indigenous creation and origin stories such as Changing Women Aling the Diné (Navajo)

Two-spirit people also held powerful and significant roles in any traditional Indigenous societies. They continue to hold cast knowledge, practice traditional medicines, and perform sacred ceremonies.

Influential Indigenous women and two-spirits that we see today include-

Congresswomen Ded Haaland and Sharice David’s, Bethany Yellowtail, Anthony Johnson and James Makokis, Autumn Peltier and many more. *
*Source: National Congress of American Indians

Tribal Sovereignty: Refers to the legal recognition in US law of the inherent sovereignty of Indigenous Nations. Each Indigenous nation has its own government and sovereign powers to make laws, tax etc. Most also have their own tribal justice system upon their inherent powers.

Yet these powers are granted through a federal recognition system. Due to paternalistic nature of US systems in relation to tribal nations, tribes are barred from prosecuting non-Native offenders in most cases of non-Native violence on tribal lands, contributing heavily to lack

of intervention in cases of MMIWGT2S.

VAWA (Violence Against Women Act): WAVA (2013) expanded tribal jurisdiction in cases of domestic violence, dating violence and violations of protection orders occurring on tribal lands. However, the current 2019 version of VAWA has stalled in the Senate, leaving tribes w/o access

to this crucial exercise of sovereignty.

Settler Colonialism: “US policies and actions related to Indigenous peoples, though often termed “racist” or “discriminatory” are rarely depicted as what they are: classes cases of imperialism, a particular form of colonialism — settler colonialism...Settler Colonialism

is a genocidal policy.” — Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz in An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the US

Bordertown Violence: “Towns that are nearby reservations that are economically dependent on Indigenous peoples and Natuve Nations.” These are epicenters of MM1WGT2S+ due to histories of non-Native violence and heavy stereotyping of Native people within these areas.

Two Spirit: “A term that was coined back in 1990 in Winnipeg, Canada as a way to join various gender identities and expressions of Native Americans/First Nations/Indigenous individuals. Two-spirit refers to a person who has both a masculine and a feminine spirit.”

‘Two Spirit’ is a term only appropriate for Native people.

Resources and Organizations to support:
Coalition to Stop Violence Againsg Native Women
Sovereign Bodies Institute
Violence Against Women Act
Reauthorization “Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Need Your Support” on Teen Vogue

Violence Against Indigenous Women: Literature, Activism Resistance by Allison Hargreaves
National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center
Native Alliance Against Violence
Seeding Sovereignty

creds: @//diversifyyournarrative (ig)
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