MISSING & MURDERED INDIGENOUS WOMEN SHIRTS

The Meaning Behind

Native women face violence, abuse, stalking and many other issues at much higher rates than our national average. As a Native American, I knew this issue ran deep in Native History and is continuing today, but the further I get along in my research the more I am realizing the reality of the situation. It is heartbreaking and wrong, so I wanted to do anything I could to help.

As a graphic designer I want to create awareness and make some noise for our people. The number one priority is to help families in need, whether that means resources that are needed to ensure safety, search costs for missing family members, DNA testing facilitation or anywhere a positive impact can be made. I am continuing to dig and welcome any information, suggestions or ideas. This is a safe space and your voice will be heard here.

I have decided to do an ongoing collection of products that I can raise funds to donate to areas of need within this issue. I am taking action first, and find tuning second. So understand more products will be being added and a wider variety. All products that will have portions of the proceeds donated will be clearly labeled and say what cause it is supporting.

I am pledging to donate the first $500 earned to the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center. This organization works with Native Women across the U.S., Canada, Alaska and Hawaii. Please visit their site to read their information, purpose and plan first hand. As a resident of Kauai, I am very grateful that this organization will help women in need in 2 communities that I am a part of.

If you would like to make a monetary donation I am working on a direct path for that. TBA.

Thank you for your help and let’s connect.

-Dusty Sandaine

Research Policy Update from National Congress of American Indians (Feb 2018)

• More than 4 in 5 American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) women (84.3 percent) have experienced violence in their lifetime.

• More than half of AI/AN women (56.1 percent) have experienced sexual violence in their lifetime.

• More than half of AI/AN women (55.5 percent) have experienced physical violence by intimate partners in their lifetime.

• Almost half of AI/AN women (48.8 percent) have been stalked in their lifetime.

• AI/AN women are 1.7 times more likely than White women to have experienced violence in the past year.

• AI/AN women were almost 2 times as likely to have experienced rape as non-Hispanic White women (34.1 percent vs. 17.9 percent) over the course of a lifetime.

• The murder rate of AI/AN women is almost 3 times that of non-Hispanic White women Nationally, (Petrosky, et al, 2017), and also face murder rates more than 10 times the national average in some counties (Bachman, Zaykowski, Kallymer, Poteyeva, & Lanier, 2008).

Let’s Find Our Sisters, No More MMIW.