By Congressman Tom Cole
As an enrolled member of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma and longest serving Native American in the House of Representatives, tribal issues have always been at the forefront of the policy decisions I have made and advocated for as a Member of Congress, as the first Native American Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, and as Co-Chair of the Native American Caucus.
Yesterday, May 5th, was the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Therefore, I feel it is only right that I speak out and raise awareness on this terrible crisis impacting Indian Country every single day.
For far too long, dangerous predators have disproportionately targeted Native American and Alaska Native women and girls. In fact, data indicates that Native women and girls experience a murder rate ten times higher than the national average and more than four in five Indian women have experienced violence in their lifetime, including 56.1% who have experienced sexual violence. Tragically, I have seen these stats firsthand in my home state of Oklahoma, which ranks number two on the list of the top ten states with Native American and Alaska Native missing persons cases.
Yet, while these statistics are alarming, data collection is unfortunately still lacking. Knowing this, I have supported and co-sponsored several bills aimed at improving data collection, record-keeping, and resources.
For example, I was an original co-sponsor of the Savanna’s Act and the Not Invisible Act, both of which were signed into law in 2020. The Savanna’s Act aims to improve data collection of missing and murdered indigenous peoples, clarify the responsibilities of tribal, federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies responding to cases, and provide tribal governments with resources and information to assist in their response. The Not Invisible Act created a joint commission composed of tribal leaders, law enforcement, federal partners, and survivors to identify and combat violent crime within tribal lands.
I have also worked both as a member of the House Appropriations Committee and as Chairman to improve funding to support these initiatives. While working alongside Subcommittee Chairman Mike Simpson, we were able to secure historic funding increases for law enforcement programs within the Bureau of Indian Affairs, criminal investigations and police services, and the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women initiative within the Fiscal Year 2025 Interior and Environment Appropriations bill – and I look forward to working with my colleagues to continue these efforts in Fiscal Year 2026.
I know this crisis will not be fully solved without the work and partnership of leaders of the federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement. Therefore, through my role in Congress, I promise my fellow tribal members that I will continue to do all I can to stop this terrible crisis once and for all, as we cannot give predators a place to prey anywhere, including in Indian Country.
If you are an American Indian or Alaska Native or know of someone in these groups experiencing violence or abuse, you can get help by chatting online or finding resources at the Native Helpline at https://strongheartshelpline.org/get-help or by dialing 1-844-7NATIVE (762-8483). Additionally, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-SAFE (7233).
