This discussion will focus on the current epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in the United States and Canada. Data shows that Indigenous (American Indian and Alaska Native) women and girls in the United States go missing at 10 times the rate of women and girls of other racial and ethnic groups; in Canada the rate is 12 times that of others. 

While this epidemic is mainly connected to people and communities in the Western states of the US and the provinces of Canada, those of us who live in the Eastern states of the US need to be aware of this epidemic because many of these missing women and girls are forced into the national and international sex trafficking industry. As the communities of Lehigh Valley are situated on and near several highways that cross the United States, those of us in the area need to be aware of the situation.

This discussion will be hosted by Dr. Sean Daley and Dr. Christine Daley of Lehigh’s College of Health and co-directors of the Institute of Indigenous Studies.