Wyoming Draws National Attention to Immediate Problem of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP)
On June 26, 2022, the League of Women Voters of the United States (LWVUS) National Convention delegates overwhelmingly voted to pass Resolution #2022-134 – Action and Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous People. The resolution recognizes that there is an immediate, ongoing, and urgent problem of Missing & Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP). Find the motion here
LWV Wyoming President Nancy Lockwood stated
“The League believes that all people deserve equal protection under the law and that solutions must be found for problems that prevent full participation in our democracy. Passing this resolution confirms this commitment to equality.”
The resolution was the result of a two-year process initiated by LWV Fremont County and taken up by LWV Wyoming through a study. The summary of the study states, “The League of Women Voters of Fremont County recognizes that Missing and Murdered Indigenous People is an issue of utmost importance to the Wind River Indian Reservation communities. We understand that history has proven that Indigenous people have been disproportionately impacted by violence in the United States. For our democracy to provide liberty and justice for all, this violence and injustice must stop.”
LWV Fremont County was officially recognized on March 3, 2020. Since that time, the group has aimed to represent all of the constituents of Fremont County. LWV Fremont County President Linda Barton stated,
“Because equal protection is a central principle of the League, we were spurred to take appropriate action to draw attention to MMIP.”
Linda continued, “After working for two years on the local and then the state study, the passage of the resolution is a very important event in the life of LWVFC and LWVWY. We have already made close partnerships with Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, and New York. The next action item is to develop a toolkit on how Leagues around the country can make an impact on this issue in their local communities.”
LWV Wyoming Board Member Kate Swistowicz, who is based in Fremont County, stated, “The League of Women Voters is a grassroots organization. It has been inspiring to see the progress of action from Fremont County, to the state, and now to the nation. We are proud to hold power to create a more perfect democracy.”
Find more information and the full resolution here.
Find the study adopted by the LWVWY here.
For more information, please contact LWVWY President Nancy Lockwood, info@wyominglwv.org, or LWVFC President Linda Barton, info@leagueofwomenvotersfc.org.
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