As Petito case captivates U.S., missing Native women ignored

[RandySF]

In Wyoming, the state where Petito's body was found, only 18% of indigenous female homicide victims get newspaper coverage, compared with 51% for white female and male victims, according to a state report.

Between 2011 and September 2020, more than 400 indigenous women and girls were reported missing in Wyoming, according to the report.

Homicide is the third-leading cause of death among Native women who are murdered at rates more than 10 times the national average, according to federal data.

Media coverage of homicides of indigenous people was more likely to use violent language and portray the victim in negative light, according to the Wyoming report. Commentators have noted that coverage of missing Black, Hispanic and other women who are not white is similarly sparse and loaded.

Investigations into violence against Native peoples have been underfunded for decades, with murders and missing persons cases often unsolved and unaddressed, according to U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, the first Native American to hold the position. The Bureau of Indian Affairs, which runs law enforcement on Indian lands, is part of Interior.




https://www.reuters.com/world/us/petito-case-captivates-us-missing-native-women-ignored-2021-09-22/?taid=614c1339a5c42200013c7284&utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter