(RALEIGH) Governor Josh Stein has declared May 5, 2026, as a Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women to show support and raise awareness on the disproportionate rate of American Indian and Alaska Native women who have disappeared or lost their lives due to acts of violence.
“More than 80% of indigenous women in the U.S. experience violence. Too often when women have gone missing or been murdered, families and communities are left searching for answers and justice,” said Governor Josh Stein. “Today we recognize this painful reality and recommit to doing all we can to protect Indigenous women across North Carolina.”
According to the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center, American Indians face some of the highest rates of violent crime in the country, with a significant number of missing person cases in the states of Alaska, Arizona, Oklahoma, Washington, New Mexico, California, Montana, North Carolina, South Dakota and Texas.
In some tribal communities, Indigenous women face murder rates that are roughly 10 times the national average, according to a study conducted on behalf of the U.S. Department of Justice. Moreover, many of the crimes committed against American Indian women and girls are associated with domestic and other forms of violence such as sexual assault and human trafficking.
“American Indians comprise less than 3 percent of our state’s population, and yet North Carolina has one of the highest numbers of American Indian missing person cases in the country,” said NC Department of Administration Secretary Gabriel J. Esparza. “The statistics are heartbreaking but crucial to acknowledge for spreading continued awareness and sparking action on this issue.”
Over the past 60 years, North Carolina had approximately 106 missing and murdered cases involving American Indians, and 57 percent of those missing have been women and girls. This number is merely a fraction of those crimes, considering that many go unreported each year. North Carolina has the largest American Indian population east of the Mississippi and is home to eight state-recognized tribes: the Coharie, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Haliwa-Saponi, Lumbee, Meherrin, Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation, Sappony, and the Waccamaw-Siouan.
As Attorney General, Governor Stein worked with law enforcement, scientists, the State Crime Lab, and legislators to end North Carolina’s decades-old rape kit backlog. This action helped to solve a 2012 cold case involving Faith Hedgepeth, a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill student and member of the Haliwa-Saponi Tribe who was murdered at an off-campus apartment. In 2024, the State Crime Lab tested nearly 12,000 kits, which led to more than 2,700 DNA matches and 256 arrests.
The NC Department of Administration’s Commission of Indian Affairs also is dedicated to working with state tribal communities to provide resources and education for women experiencing domestic and sexual violence. Support for domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking victims is just one of the ways the commission has advocated for local and regional American Indian concerns since the agency was established by the NC General Assembly in 1971.
“We provide resources including volunteer advocates for tribal populations such as the Coharie, Haliwa-Saponi, Meherrin, Sappony, and Waccamaw-Siouan,” said NC Commission of Indian Affairs Director Greg Richardson. “We take pride in being not only an advocate but a source of support for these individuals and their families.”
For additional information or resources, visit the Commission of Indian Affairs’ Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Program website.
Read Governor Stein’s proclamation and view Secretary Esparza’s video in recognition of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Awareness Day.
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About NCDOA and the NC Commission of Indian Affairs
The NC Department of Administration acts as the business manager for North Carolina state government. Under the leadership of Secretary Gabriel J. Esparza, the department oversees government operations and advocacy programs. The department’s advocacy programs help to promote and assist diverse segments of the state’s population that have been traditionally underserved. The NC Commission of Indian Affairs advocates for the needs of American Indian residents in North Carolina. It administers programs and services to American Indian communities across the state, including education and resources to aid in social and economic development. The commission also works to address disparities and promote unity among American Indian and non-Indian communities.