Missing and Murdered Indigenous People: A Modern Manifestation of Colonization

Abstract

Scholars have long documented the various injuries brought on First Nations by European colonialism. While it is broadly recognized that Indigenous people are violently victimized at the highest rate in the nation per capita, they are grossly underrepresented in research (Deer, 2018). The purpose of this study is to explore the contemporary phenomenon of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) as a modern manifestation of European colonization. This qualitative study utilizes Grounded Theory to analyze data collected from semi-structured focus groups and web interviews with Indigenous and advocate participants. Three themes emerged from participant data: 1) Historical trauma, 2) Ways of missing, and 3) Connectivity. Applying an intersectional lens, the analysis of the three themes defines a broad spectrum of what it means to be “missing” and the relationship between the MMIP crisis and colonization.