About the project

On Jan. 20, 2018, Native American women led the Seattle Womxn’s March with a striking statement emblazoned on a handmade sign: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women.

It was a call to action and a demand for lawmakers, law enforcement, the media and the general public to pay attention to the crisis of violence inflicted on Native women for centuries.

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) is a grassroots movement that began with First Nations women and families in Canada, and compelled the Canadian government to initiate a national inquiry.

The movement has gained momentum in Washington and other U.S. states as organizers lead marches, lobby lawmakers and partner with local organizations like the Urban Indian Health Institute to collect data that backs up their lived experiences.

Seattle Times journalists Bettina Hansen and Lauren Frohne have been following the efforts of local advocates and families who have lost loved ones, and are working to craft stories to reach our readers in a way that feels as personal and grassroots as the movement itself.

Reach out to us with your comments, ideas and stories for this docuseries, “Not Invisible,” at MMIWstories@seattletimes.com.