Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW): Integrating Structural Analysis and Lived Experience to Address Risk and Protective Factors

Dinner on Us (DOU) is administered by the Native American House (NAH) and is part of the Lunch on Us Series within Student Success, Inclusion & Belonging. DOU is a one-hour program that features scholar- and practitioner-led workshops paired with a shared meal.

Held twice monthly from September through November and February through April, DOU explores a wide range of Native and Indigenous-focused topics while offering participants meaningful opportunities to connect with peers and experts in a relaxed, conversational setting.

This DOU workshop features: Oliviah Walker, M.Ed. (she/her), Meskwaki Nation, Director of Operations and Planning, for Minnesota Department of Health, overseeing the health equity strategy for the agency.

Description: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives (MMIWR) has become a critical public health issue that brings together the intersection of structural inequities, historical and ongoing trauma and systemic failures in prevention and response.

This presentation will focus on key risk and protective factors at the individual, community, and structural levels, while emphasizing the need to invest in culturally centered prevention frameworks. This discussion will bridge quantitative data with a narrative of familial loss, and address the ethical responsibilities of indigenous communities, government, academia, and other institutions in prevention, intervention, and accountability to protect Indigenous women.

Co Sponsors: Illini Union Board, Women's Resource Center, and American Indian Studies This program is open to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, or national origin. Reasonable accommodations are available upon request. Please contact the Native American House at nah@illinois.edu.