Palm Springs march honoring Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) — Today marks Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Awareness Day, an observance drawing attention to the ongoing crisis of violence against Native communities.

Monday morning, a group of tribal members, local leaders, and community allies gathered in downtown Palm Springs at The Center for a march aimed at raising awareness and demanding change.

The event called for justice, reform, and recognition of the thousands of Indigenous people who have gone missing or been murdered.

Many of those missing and murdered are lost to the shadows of underreporting and systemic neglect. Organizers hope today’s march will highlight the urgent need for stronger legal protections, improved data collection, and increased resources for families still seeking answers.

The crisis is deeply rooted in disturbing statistics. According to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, 5,712 Indigenous women and girls were reported missing in 2016 alone, yet only 116 of those cases were logged in federal databases. Indigenous women face violence at 1.7 times the rate of white women, and homicide is the third leading cause of death for Native women. Native American women are murdered at nearly ten times the national average, according to the California Courts Newsroom.

Stay with News Channel 3 to hear from event organizers about how they are raising awareness and calling for change.