Wisconsin holds first Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women task force meeting
(WLUK) -- Wisconsin held its first missing and murdered Indigenous women (MMIW) task force meeting Friday.
The issue of MMIW is not an unfamiliar one in Wisconsin.
The CDC says nationally, murder is the third-leading cause of death for young Native women.
Task force members say the meeting was a long time coming.
"It's a much needed task force. I've been involved since probably the mid-70s. When I remember one of our first missing persons who is still missing -- Lisa Ninham," task force member Myrna Warrington said.
The task force will have four subcommittees focusing on:
- Data
- Systems
- Community and family impact
- Legislation and policy
"It's not just an extractive process. That we're listening to the stories of our survivors, that it's done in a survivor informed way, not to cause harm to our nations," Kristin Welch, Menikanaehkem's lead organizer, said.
The task force has flexibility on how long it will meet before recommending legislative change and solutions.
Welch recommends meeting for 18 months.
"To really try and dive into the issues and honor our MMIW families," Welch said.
The task force agreed it would meet quarterly, with the next meeting being in March.
