The Maxwell Museum of Anthropology at the University of New Mexico will host this year’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2-Spirit individuals (MMIWG2S) Awareness Day event on May 5. The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the museum’s courtyard.
The day is intended to raise awareness about the crisis affecting Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit individuals who are missing or have been murdered. A Remembrance Ceremony is scheduled for noon to honor those who are missing or murdered, including both identified individuals and those still waiting to return home.
Ashley Burch, collections manager of human osteology and laboratory supervisor, along with Ash Boydston-Schmidt, Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act coordinator, organized the free public event. Drinks, snacks, and giveaways will be available for attendees throughout the day.
Information about the MMIWG2S crisis in New Mexico as well as resources for families of missing persons will be provided during the event. Attendees can speak with detectives from the Albuquerque Police Department Cold Case Unit, learn about successes from the Office of Medical Investigator’s Missing and Unidentified Human Remains Program grant, review open forensic cases, donate a family reference sample, or find out more about New Mexico’s DNA Identification System.
Registration is not required but is appreciated for preparation purposes. For more information regarding participation or details about the day’s activities, interested parties may contact Ashley Burch at aburch1@unm.edu or Ash Boydston-Schmidt at ashboydston@law.unm.edu.