As of 2016, there were 5,712 cases of Missing or Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-spirits (MMIWG2S) in the United States, only 116 of which were logged in the US Department of Justice database. This is a commonly referenced statistic when discussing the nationwide crisis of violence against indigenous women, and as one would expect, further research only reveals further evidence of negligent investigations and willingly blind law enforcement agencies that have ignored the issue since the colonization of the North Americas some 400 years ago.
Various social justice organizations have made efforts to collect more comprehensive data over recent decades, one being the Urban Indian Health Institute (UIHI). In 2018, the UIHI surveyed 71 major cities across the United States to paint a more complete picture of this public health concern. While Providence was not large enough to be included in the survey, data collected from Boston’s law enforcement agencies reveal that they have counted 0 cases of murdered or missing indigenous women in their jurisdiction since 1943. This number demonstrates a disheartening reality that our law enforcement agencies simply are not collecting data on these cases, or they are misrepresenting the victim’s race by categorizing them as white, only skewing the statistical narrative of violence against Native women.
The Native Women’s Wilderness website also shows that there are no publicly available reports or statistics on the number of MMIWG2S in the state of RI, despite the commonly known history of abuse against the Narragansett Tribe’s land, people, and customs. On February 24, 2025, the Narragansett Tribe’s own Lorén Spears, Director of the Tomaquag Museum in Exeter, visited the Johnson & Wales University campus in Providence as a speaker in the college’s Cultural Life Series, where she discussed how environmental justice goes hand-inhand with Indigenous rights and the lengthy history of colonization and erasure of Native communities in Rhode Island and beyond.
Spears discussed how the historical settlements of white colonizers on Native land not only damaged the environment and its resources, but it has also resulted in a staggering amount of unreported crimes against Indigenous women. As Spears states, “crimes committed on Tribal land can only be investigated by Tribal law enforcement,” and this systemic barrier against proper investigation has left a long history of neglected victims in its wake. In light of the nonexistent data reflecting the issue, Indigenous communities across Rhode Island have banded together to demand a more thorough investigation of the women stolen from their tribal communities.
The Sweetgrass Cultural Enrichment Center located in Bradford recently acknowledged the MMIW Day of Action by hosting the MMIW Northeast Women’s Healing Circle at Weaver Library East to raise awareness about the epidemic. They continue to advocate for justice on behalf of all indigenous women, and you can subscribe to the newsletter on their website to remain informed about upcoming events and opportunities to support this public cause.
The Tomaquag Museum is also a worthwhile resource for educating yourself on Indigenous rights, histories, customs, and traditions. They host seasonal events and are active participants in the national fight to honor the Stolen Sisters and prevent further injustices against Native women. You can call the museum to book a tour on Monday through Saturday, and they are open for drop-in visitors on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The museum is anticipating a move to the University of Rhode Island’s campus so that they can be more accessible to the students and community in the region looking to learn more about the Narragansett Tribe and its history.
Native Women’s Wilderness is also a nationwide organization that is working to collect public data on a state-by-state basis, and if you believe you have publicly available resources on the state of the MMIWG2S crisis in Rhode Island, you can submit them to their database by emailing info@ nativewomenswilderness.org. •
Most importantly, if you believe you know an Indigenous woman who is missing or abducted, you can submit a case for review by calling 1-833-FINDME, or fill out an online form at www.NILJ.org.
Illustration by Anna Forrest @anna.forrest.art
