Indigenous Women, Two-Spirit People, And Their Advocate: CCCo Recognition On Meeting Agenda

LAMORINDA, CA — Women are likely to be raped, hit, or stalked by an intimate partner in their lifetime. Sometimes they will experience all three. The rates vary, but out of a group of 10 Native women, the number skyrockets: all but one is likely to experience physical or sexual violence at some point in their lives.

Indeed, California ranks fifth for the country's most cases of missing and murdered Indigenous people, according to advocates. It's been described as an epidemic, an emergency and a crisis by California tribal leaders desperate for change.

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Against this background, members of the Lafayette Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging committee is asking the city council to adopt a formal proclamation addressing the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Two-Spirit individuals, and their relatives, pressing the city to expand recognition, education, and support for Indigenous communities.

The request publicly acknowledges the violence and systemic neglect that disproportionately affects Native women and Two-Spirit people, according to the committee, who cite national findings that document elevated rates of murder, domestic violence, and sexual assault — along with widespread failures in reporting and investigation that leave many cases unresolved.

The resolution specifically recognizes Miwok elder Marge Grow-Eppard, She Who Walks With Bears. She is president of the California Chapter of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women.

The resolution would recognize her for her advocacy and education work, including helping residents, students, and officials better understand the crisis and its lasting impact on families in California and beyond.

By accepting the resolution, city council will be recognizing the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives on May 5, and pledge to elevate public understanding of the issue through community engagement and education.

If approved, according to the committee, the measure would place Lafayette alongside a growing number of jurisdictions responding to calls from Indigenous advocates for systemic reform, increased resources for families, and sustained government accountability in addressing violence against Indigenous people.

Lafayette City Council Meeting, 6 p.m. on May 11
Lafayette Library & Learning Center, 3491 Mt. Diablo Blvd. and online