ROLE OF SCHOOLS IN THE US IN RAISING AWARENESS OF MMIW
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Published:
Apr 6, 2026
Abstract
This paper examines the significance of schools in raising awareness of the ongoing Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) issue. The paper uses a qualitative, literature-based analysis to argue that schools are positioned to facilitate empathy, civic responsibility, and cultural understanding during the critical stage of social development. The study suggests several educational approaches to integrate students with local communities, including storytelling projects, community awareness initiatives, symbolic art displays, and the inclusion of authentic Indigenous perspectives in curriculum frameworks. This study's analysis also indicates that supporting critical thinking and social justice awareness can be achieved by respecting the Indigenous knowledge system. The inclusion of MMIW issues in curricula allows schools to contribute and to engage in meaningful dialogue and actions towards the respect, dignity, and visibility of Indigenous women and girls.
How to Cite
Agayeva, G. (2026). ROLE OF SCHOOLS IN THE US IN RAISING AWARENESS OF MMIW. Baltic Journal of Legal and Social Sciences, (1), 105-110. https://doi.org/10.30525/2592-8813-2026-1-11
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Keywords
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW), Native American education, culturally responsive education, curriculum integrations, social justice education
References
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6. McCarty, T. L., & Lee, T. S. (2014). Critical culturally sustaining/revitalizing pedagogy and Indigenous education sovereignty. Harvard Educational Review, 84(1), 101–124. https://doi.org/10.17763/haer.84.1.q8372v0m1p80p22w
7. Heybach, J. (2016). Culturally responsive teaching in secondary schools: Creating inclusive classrooms for diverse learners. Education Sciences, 6(4), 35. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci6040035
8. Turanovic, J. J., & Pratt, T. C. (2017). Consequences of Violent Victimization for Native American Youth in Early Adulthood. Journal of youth and adolescence, 46(6), 1333–1350. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-016-0587-y
9. Isaacs, D. S., & Young, A. R. (2019). Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW): Bringing awareness through the power of student activism. Journal of Indigenous Research, 7(1), Article 2. https://doi.org/10.26077/5t7q-j016
10. Turner, S., & Others. (2023). Indigenous youth activism and survivance in educational spaces. Multicultural Education Review, 15(2), 85–102. https://doi.org/10.1080/2005615X.2023.1823945
11. The Guardian. (2019, March 7). REDress exhibit highlights the epidemic of missing and murdered indigenous women. www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/07/redress-exhibit-dc-missing-and-murderedindigenous-women
12. Davis, L. (2018). Art as resistance: The REDress Project and Indigenous women’s activism. Canadian Journal of Native Studies, 38(2), 21–40.
13. Walking With Our Sisters. (2020). “The Project.” Walking with Our Sisters. 2020. http://walkingwithoursisters.ca/about/the-project/
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15. Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.‑
16. Patton, M. Q. (2015). Qualitative research & evaluation methods (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
17. The Associated Press. (2023, October 6). Students walk out of schools for missing and murdered Indigenous women in South Dakota. AP News.
18. Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York: Continuum Books.
19. Barron, A. (2020, February 5). Cheerleading squad honors missing and murdered Indigenous women. Teen Vogue. Retrieved from https://www.teenvogue.com/
20. Indian Education for All. (n.d.). Constitutional and legal foundations for Indian Education for All. Montana State University. https://ougfc.montana.edu/iefa/background/legalfoundations.html
21. Ken Lees and Gordon McMahon School District 71 (Comox Valley) Aboriginal Education Services. (n.d.). Retrieved January 25, 2026, from https://www.comoxvalleyschools.ca/indigenous-education/wp-content/uploads/sites/25/2021/06/The-Issues-of-Missing-and-Murdered-Indigenous-Women-in-Canada-Teaching-Unit.pdf
22. Lorenz, D. (2019, May 31). Alberta teachers lack confidence, support in teaching Indigenous content, study shows. University of Alberta Faculty of Education. https://www.ualberta.ca/en/education/about-us/education-news/2019/may/alberta-teacherslack-confidence.html
23. Fan, E. (2024). Right in Front of Our Eyes: The Hidden Curriculum and the Role of School-Based Practices on Violence Against Indigenous Women. Journal of Advanced Research in Education, 3(6), 42–51. https://doi.org/10.56397/jare.2024.11.07
24. Gibbs, C., Achebe, N., Johnson, B., Nwaiche, C., & Velez Ortiz, D. (2023). Constructing College-Level Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Minors—Moving from Performative to Transformative DEI. Radical Teacher, 127. https://doi.org/10.5195/rt.2023.977
25. McCarty, T. L., & McKinley Jones Brayboy, B. (2021). Culturally responsive, sustaining, and revitalizing pedagogies: Perspectives from Native American education. The Educational Forum, 429–443.
26. Ladson-Billings, G. (2009). The Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African American Children, 2nd ed.; Jossey-Bass: San Francisco, CA, USA.
27. Tuck, E., & Yang, K. W. (2012). Decolonization is not a metaphor. Decolonization: Indigeneity, Education & Society, 1(1), 1–40. https://jps.library.utoronto.ca/index.php/des/article/view/18630
28. Bearhead, C. (2020). Their Voices Will Guide Us: Student and youth engagement guide for teaching about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people. National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Retrieved from https://www.mmiwg-ffada.ca/commemoration-art-and-education/their-voices-will-guide-us/
2. National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center. (2022). Restoration: The restoration of Native Sovereignty and Safety for Native Women, 18(4), 110. https://www.niwrc.org/sites/default/files/files/magazine/restoration.18.4.pdf
3. National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. (2019). Reclaiming power and place: The final report of the national inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. Government of Canada. https://www.mmiwg-ffada.ca/final-report
4. National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center. (2022). Special collection: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls. https://www.niwrc.org/resources/special-collection/specialcollection-mmiwg
5. Held, M. B. (2023). Decolonizing science: Undoing the colonial and racist hegemony of Western science. Journal of Multidisciplinary Evaluation, 19(44), 88-101. https://doi.org/10.56645/jmde.v19i44.785
6. McCarty, T. L., & Lee, T. S. (2014). Critical culturally sustaining/revitalizing pedagogy and Indigenous education sovereignty. Harvard Educational Review, 84(1), 101–124. https://doi.org/10.17763/haer.84.1.q8372v0m1p80p22w
7. Heybach, J. (2016). Culturally responsive teaching in secondary schools: Creating inclusive classrooms for diverse learners. Education Sciences, 6(4), 35. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci6040035
8. Turanovic, J. J., & Pratt, T. C. (2017). Consequences of Violent Victimization for Native American Youth in Early Adulthood. Journal of youth and adolescence, 46(6), 1333–1350. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-016-0587-y
9. Isaacs, D. S., & Young, A. R. (2019). Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW): Bringing awareness through the power of student activism. Journal of Indigenous Research, 7(1), Article 2. https://doi.org/10.26077/5t7q-j016
10. Turner, S., & Others. (2023). Indigenous youth activism and survivance in educational spaces. Multicultural Education Review, 15(2), 85–102. https://doi.org/10.1080/2005615X.2023.1823945
11. The Guardian. (2019, March 7). REDress exhibit highlights the epidemic of missing and murdered indigenous women. www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/07/redress-exhibit-dc-missing-and-murderedindigenous-women
12. Davis, L. (2018). Art as resistance: The REDress Project and Indigenous women’s activism. Canadian Journal of Native Studies, 38(2), 21–40.
13. Walking With Our Sisters. (2020). “The Project.” Walking with Our Sisters. 2020. http://walkingwithoursisters.ca/about/the-project/
14. Waziyatawin. (n.d.). Indigenous knowledge, education, and decolonization. Retrieved January 14, 2026, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waziyatawin
15. Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.‑
16. Patton, M. Q. (2015). Qualitative research & evaluation methods (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
17. The Associated Press. (2023, October 6). Students walk out of schools for missing and murdered Indigenous women in South Dakota. AP News.
18. Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York: Continuum Books.
19. Barron, A. (2020, February 5). Cheerleading squad honors missing and murdered Indigenous women. Teen Vogue. Retrieved from https://www.teenvogue.com/
20. Indian Education for All. (n.d.). Constitutional and legal foundations for Indian Education for All. Montana State University. https://ougfc.montana.edu/iefa/background/legalfoundations.html
21. Ken Lees and Gordon McMahon School District 71 (Comox Valley) Aboriginal Education Services. (n.d.). Retrieved January 25, 2026, from https://www.comoxvalleyschools.ca/indigenous-education/wp-content/uploads/sites/25/2021/06/The-Issues-of-Missing-and-Murdered-Indigenous-Women-in-Canada-Teaching-Unit.pdf
22. Lorenz, D. (2019, May 31). Alberta teachers lack confidence, support in teaching Indigenous content, study shows. University of Alberta Faculty of Education. https://www.ualberta.ca/en/education/about-us/education-news/2019/may/alberta-teacherslack-confidence.html
23. Fan, E. (2024). Right in Front of Our Eyes: The Hidden Curriculum and the Role of School-Based Practices on Violence Against Indigenous Women. Journal of Advanced Research in Education, 3(6), 42–51. https://doi.org/10.56397/jare.2024.11.07
24. Gibbs, C., Achebe, N., Johnson, B., Nwaiche, C., & Velez Ortiz, D. (2023). Constructing College-Level Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Minors—Moving from Performative to Transformative DEI. Radical Teacher, 127. https://doi.org/10.5195/rt.2023.977
25. McCarty, T. L., & McKinley Jones Brayboy, B. (2021). Culturally responsive, sustaining, and revitalizing pedagogies: Perspectives from Native American education. The Educational Forum, 429–443.
26. Ladson-Billings, G. (2009). The Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African American Children, 2nd ed.; Jossey-Bass: San Francisco, CA, USA.
27. Tuck, E., & Yang, K. W. (2012). Decolonization is not a metaphor. Decolonization: Indigeneity, Education & Society, 1(1), 1–40. https://jps.library.utoronto.ca/index.php/des/article/view/18630
28. Bearhead, C. (2020). Their Voices Will Guide Us: Student and youth engagement guide for teaching about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people. National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Retrieved from https://www.mmiwg-ffada.ca/commemoration-art-and-education/their-voices-will-guide-us/