Let's Talk Human Rights

By Meghan Leinhauser, 2022

“The charge of genocide, once unacceptable by establishment academic and political classes when applied to the United States... is too often accompanied by an assumption of disappearance.”

This quote from Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz’s An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States points to the United States’ long history of violence against its Indigenous people. For generations, Indigenous peoples have actively survived and resisted this violence. Today, they still face violence and misrepresentation. Historically painted as “savages” to be colonized and objects to be sexualized, most images of Indigenous people available in mainstream media are based on romanticizing - and often dehumanizing - historical accounts. Disney’s portrayal of Pocahontas is a well-known example. Not only does the movie misconstrue history, it romanticizes Pocahontas’ relationship with a white man. In fact, many Indigenous people consider Pocahontas to be one of the first Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women.

I spent this summer researching the use of social media, in particular TikTok, by the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People (MMIWG2S) movement.  I did not start my research with a predetermined set of themes I was looking for within the videos; instead, the themes emerged from the TikTok videos as I watched them. The themes of personal connection, symbolism, and MMIWG2S cases are part of a larger thematic coding system that I used to analyze the videos through inductive coding, a ground-up approach to coding data. The process of watching these videos and learning more about Indigenous experiences led to adaptations in both my methods and perceptions. For example, when I started my research, I was using the term “MMIW” to refer to this social movement. Upon watching TikToks, reading Indigenous news and blog posts, and reading Indigenous literature, I learned that the term “MMIWG2S” is more comprehensive, as it includes girls and two-spirited individuals who are affected by this epidemic. The term “MMIP” is also used to refer to missing and murdered people in general.

Background on the MMIWG2S Movement

The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People (MMIWG2S) movement arose in response to an epidemic that is greatly underreported by the media. Four out of five Indigenous women have experienced or will experience violence in their lifetime. These women are being abused, taken, and, in many cases, killed, at an alarming rate. Due to a lack of communication between state, local, and tribal law enforcement, investigation of these cases is difficult. Because of this disconnect, Indigenous people have risen in a movement to fight for their loved ones to receive the justice they deserve. 

These efforts have gained traction; an MMIWG2S awareness Facebook page, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women USA, has amassed over 100,000 followers. Every day, this Facebook page shares missing person flyers, GoFundMe pages, updates about missing individuals, and any information useful in MMIWG2S cases. Because of the page’s ability to reach hundreds of thousands of people, their posts are shared across the country. In some cases, sharing information through Facebook has resulted in cases being solved quicker than government searches. For example, Lissa Yellow Bird found her niece who was missing this way. Listen to Lissa’s story on This American Life. 

“When she puts something on Facebook, people respond, give her leads they might be more cautious about giving police. She started getting calls right away.”

Beyond posting in groups and on social media pages, advocates for awareness also use hashtags such as #MMIW, #MMIWG2S, #nomorestolensisters, and #notinvisible. The popular social media platform, TikTok, has a large presence of Indigenous creators that post under these hashtags. The creators post original videos raising awareness for MMIWG2S, and share personal stories of friends and family who have gone missing or have been murdered, and creatively describe the social movement. 

My Findings

Tiktok is an app centered around user-generated content as the means of discussion and interaction. The app’s features resemble those of forums or threads seen on sites such as Twitter or Reddit, but in short-form videos. The ability to “duet”, “stitch”, and comment on videos creates ways to easily interact and discuss with other users that are not in your own “circle.”  Because TikTok videos range from 15 to 60 seconds, they are an accessible and cost-efficient method to get a message across. 

Many videos by Indigenous creators from the MMIWG2S movement feature multiple themes; for example, a creator will speak about his/her family member who has gone missing as an Indigenous song plays in the background. Then, the video will end with the creator placing a red handprint over their mouth to symbolize the thousands of individuals who have been silenced through disappearance or murder. In many Indigenous communities, red is the only color spirits can see. By wearing red, these creators hope that the missing spirits of women, children, two-spirited people, and any other missing or murdered individuals can be called back so that they can be laid to rest. This powerful symbol is one of many that are utilized to raise awareness for MMIWG2S. 

I found that many of the creators posting MMIWG2S-related content use informal speech in their videos. Sometimes, it even feels as if they are talking to a friend. The topic of MMIWG2S is very personal for many creators who post MMIWG2S-related content. While TikTok videos are often “informal”, this informality looks different for each creator. Taking down emotional walls can involve a casual greeting, profanity, or an intense personal and serious testimony about violence. When these walls are taken down, the ways that users share their emotions shift frequently within even a single video. Regardless, the creators’ emotions are conveyed in the short-form videos they post. The essence of these quick-to-produce, discussion-centered posts is what generates the unique TikTok user experience.

Spending the summer watching TikToks about the MMIWG2S movement led me to a larger understanding of social movements’ use of social media for addressing human rights issues. MMIWG2S advocates are a powerful force to be reckoned with.  Social media platforms, particularly informal ones like TikTok, should not be painted as an ineffective tool for advocacy.  My takeaway is that the platform is effective at raising awareness, sharing resources and drawing attention to MMIWG2S cases. Below are some resources that amplify Indigenous voices in regards to the MMIWG2S movement. I encourage you to explore them. 

• Informational TikTok
• Recent news article
• Indian and Cowboy Podcast Network episode
• WARN (Women of All Red Nations)

Meghan is a senior Sociology student with minors in Human Rights Studies and Social Work. She is continuing to research the Missing and Murdered Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People (MMIWG2S) social movement this year as she pursues her Sociology Capstone and Honors Thesis.