#MMIW in Chicago: The Socio-Political Geography of Intersectional Violence

How do the experiences of urban Indigenous women ‘fit’ into our conceptualization of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) emergency?

Using historical and current data from Chicago-based research, Alex Davis will draw a link between U.S. policies of removal and relocation, violence against Indigenous women, and the unique socio-political location of Chicago. Together, we will discuss ways in which citizens of this city—Indigenous and non-Indigenous—can work to promote an accurate understanding of MMIW.

Lunch will be provided.
RSVP: go.uic.edu/mmiwchicago

Hosted by UIC Women’s Leadership and Resource Center as part of its Feminisms Lunch Lecture series. This program is part of UIC’s 2019 celebration of Native American Heritage Month. View additional programs: go.uic.edu/1NAHM.

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Alexandra (Alex) Davis (they/them, she/her) is a PhD candidate in the Criminology, Law, and Justice department at UIC, where they currently teach about violence. Their dissertation, “Pictured Strength: A Phenomenological Analysis of Violence and Resilience Among Urban Native Women,” offers an in-depth exploration of the meanings of violence and resilience for Native women in Chicago, utilizing participatory photographic methods to upend commonly understood narratives of Native women and of violence survivors in the justice system. Their other research projects include work on state-sanctioned violence, evidentiary concerns in sexual assault cases, and government responses to social movements.

Outside academia, they try to maintain a healthful life by enjoying tea, triathlons, and photography, of which the latter has been featured in local community centers as well as the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.

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WLRC’s suite is wheelchair-accessible and includes an accessible, all-gender restroom. The building has an elevator to reach the third floor. The front entrance to the building requires using a buzzer that is above many wheelchair heights. Please feel free to call us at (312) 413-1025 when you arrive for assistance with the front door. Please call or email us at can.wlrc@gmail.com a few days in advance for any other accommodation requests.