 - Riverton Mayor Tim Hancock issued a proclamation last week declaring May 5, 2025 - and every May 5 thereafter - as Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Awareness Day in Riverton.){kind=link}
(Riverton, WY) – Riverton Mayor Tim Hancock issued a proclamation last week declaring May 5, 2025 – and every May 5 thereafter – as Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Awareness Day in Riverton.
“Wyoming’s Native American population experiences significant disparities in missing persons and homicide rates, and the memory of those who are missing or murdered must be honored through awareness, advocacy, and action,” Hancock said, reading from the proclamation. “(We) encourage all citizens to honor the memory of those missing and murdered, to support community based solutions and to stand in solidarity with Indigenous peoples in the pursuit of justice, healing and change.”
Indigenous residents in Wyoming experience “disproportionately high rates of homicide and disappearances compared to white residents,” according to a 2025 report from the Wyoming Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Task Force.
“The homicide rate for Indigenous people remains much higher than for white people,” the report states. “In 2024, the five-year homicide rate for Indigenous people was 23.2 per 100,000 – eight times higher than the rate for white people.”
Indigenous people in Wyoming also make up a disproportionate number of the missing people entered into the National Crime Information Center database, according to the report, which indicates that “19 percent of all missing person cases entered into NCIC are Indigenous, despite Indigenous people only accounting for about 3 percent of the state’s population.”
In 2024, the report says, 85 percent of Wyoming’s Indigenous missing person cases originated in Fremont County, and half of those were from the Wind River Reservation.
“The City of Riverton is located near the Wind River Indian Reservation and shares a deep and lasting connection with the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho peoples whose cultures, histories and lives contribute immeasurably to our community,” Hancock said last week, reading from the proclamation. “The City of Riverton is committed to promoting public awareness, supporting families and survivors and working toward justice for Native communities affected by this ongoing crisis.”
Earlier in the meeting, local organizers thanked the city for supporting the MMIR 307 march that took place May 4 in Riverton.
“We couldn’t have done it without you all and the community,” MMIR 307 Board Member Nicole Wagon said. “(We) extend our deepest gratitude to each and every person who came together in strength, solidarity and love to support the 2025 annual march for our missing and murdered Indigenous relatives. … Your presence mattered, your voices were heard, and your steps honored those we can never forget.”
Members of MMIR 307 displayed their banner in front of the city council last week, with Tiana Wagon explaining that the logo was designed to represent the Medicine Wheel, “a powerful symbol of balance, unity (and) interconnectedness, inspiring hope and harmony among all living things.”
“The four colors – black, red, yellow and white – stand for the four directions, stages of life, seasons and elements of human nature, reminding us of the beauty and complexity of life,” Tiana Wagon said. “The eagle soars above, symbolizing protection, strength and a profound connection to the Creator, lifting our spirits and guiding us toward a brighter future, (and) Turtle Island appears under the eagle representing Mother Earth and the lands Indigenous peoples have called home since time immemorial, grounding us in our rich heritage and history.”
The red handprint on the logo “stands for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives, honoring the memories of those we have lost and calling us to action in pursuit of justice and remembrance,” she said, and “the spiral within the hand represents healing, growth and the journey toward restoring balance and wholeness with Indigenous communities, illuminating the path forward and guiding us toward a more harmonious future.”
“Together, this logo tells a story of protection, remembrance, healing and hope for all generations connected to the Wind River Reservation and beyond,” Tiana Wagon said. “Wind River Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives 307 is a beacon of support for all women, men and two-spirit relatives of the Wind River Reservation … shining a light of hope and solidarity in the face of adversity.”
For more information, visit MMIR307.org.