Seattle to address missing, murdered indigenous women crisis

SEATTLE — The Seattle City Council has adopted a resolution acknowledging violence against indigenous women and girls and vowing to address the crisis.

The Seattle Times reports Monday's resolution says the city will hire a special liaison, invest in human services, consult with tribal governments, improve data collection and train police.

It doesn't on its own allocate money immediately but sponsor Councilmember Debora Juarez said she believed the detailed measure would soon lead to positive changes.

Juarez, who grew up on the Puyallup Reservation in Tacoma and is an enrolled member of the Blackfeet Nation said, "We will be invisible no more."

A report published last year by the Seattle Indian Health Board, using research from 71 U.S. cities, identified 506 cases of missing or murdered indigenous women and girls since 1943. It identified 45 cases in Seattle, more than in any other city studied.

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Information from: The Seattle Times, http://www.seattletimes.com

Associated Press