GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK — From Friday, Nov. 17, through Sunday, Nov. 19, Grand Teton National Park’s (GTNP) iconic entry sign will be draped with a red shawl to commemorate missing and murdered Indigenous women and children, according to the park.
Red Shawl Day is observed on Sunday, Nov. 19, falling during National Native American Heritage Month. Individuals are encouraged to wear red throughout the week as a symbol of the loss of sacred lifeblood through violence.
In a Facebook post, GTNP calls the occasion “a time to bring attention to the horrible acts of violence committed against Indigenous peoples, particularly women and children. According to the Department of Justice, American Indian and Alaska Native women are missing and murdered at a rate of more than 10 times above the national average.”
In Wyoming, a statewide report on Missing and Murdered Indigenous People states that 710 Indigenous persons were reported missing between 2011 and 2020. Eighty-five percent were juvenile, and 57% were female. They were reported missing from 22 of the 23 counties in Wyoming. The report also found that 105 Indigenous people—34 females, 71 males—were murdered between 2000 and 2020.
For more information, see the Bureau of Indian Affairs Missing & Murdered Unit: https://www.bia.gov/bia/ojs/missing-murdered-unit.
