Indigenous communities gather nationwide to honor missing and slain relatives

Indigenous communities across the United States are holding marches, vigils, talking circles and other events this week to honor relatives who are missing or have been killed, according to reporting by The Associated Press and The Imprint. The gatherings coincide with the national day of awareness for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples movement observed during the week of May 5. Many events encourage participants to wear red, a color associated with honoring Indigenous victims of violence in the United States and Canada. 

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Native Americans and Alaska Natives are more than twice as likely as the general population to experience violent crime, while Native women are twice as likely to be homicide victims. The FBI’s National Crime Information Center recorded nearly 1,500 active federal cases involving missing Native Americans at the end of 2025, according to the report. Advocates and family members also called for improved law enforcement coordination, stronger tribal public safety resources and better communication with victims’ families.