After years of advocating for missing and murdered Indigenous women, Roxanne Barley was able to make her case for why the City of Yuma should recognize May as National Awareness Month for Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Relatives.
Barley, a member of the Cocopah Indian Tribe, is an advocate for Indigenous women and the Yuma community.
“It was a learning experience all on its own," Barley said. "I have been trying to get this proclamation going for several years and just being a thorn on the side, always showing up to council meetings, voicing my opinion, voicing my concerns about it, asking the community and city council to get involved. I held candlelight vigils and marches. Sometimes they didn’t show up, but when they did, that’s where the relationship began to form and blossom because they got to know on a personal level how it reflects our community."
Studies have long shown Native American women face significantly higher rates of abuse and violence compared with white women.
Nationwide, murder is the third-leading cause of death for Native American women, according to the Urban Indian Health Institute.
As for the number of Indigenous women who are missing, the true total remains unclear because of major gaps in reporting and data collection. However, a 2014 study by the Federal Bureau of Investigation found more than 5,000 cases of missing Indigenous women across the country.
It’s a tragic reality that local activist and Cocopah Indian Tribe member Roxanne Barley is working to bring awareness to.
“I wanted people to know and realize that this is a promise the city is making, that they are going to do their part," she said. "Therefore, we as community members need to do our part in order to protect our community members and ourselves. We need to know that someone is going to have our backs, that someone is going to be diligent and thorough in their work ethic and duties and do everything they absolutely can to bring our loved ones home."
