Continued need highlighted to solve U.S. cases of missing, murdered indigenous persons: report

Performers are seen at the annual Gathering of Nations Powwow and Miss Indian World Pageant in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the United States, on April 27, 2019. (Xinhua/Richard Lakin)

There are currently about 500 Native Americans in Oklahoma who are missing, or their murder is unsolved.

NEW YORK, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- On Indigenous Peoples' Day, local Native American groups are reminding Oklahomans that disappearances and murders continue to plague their relatives, reported local news media KFOR on Monday.

The murder rate for Native American women is more than 10 times the national average, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

"Missing and murdered indigenous people is an epidemic," said Carmen Harvie, president of the Oklahoma state chapter of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People.

Harvie said there are currently about 500 Native Americans in the state who are missing, or their murder is unsolved.

"Every case, no matter what lifestyle you have, they deserve equal media attention, equal missing reports need to be done," she said. "If your loved one went missing you would want them to be found. Time is of the essence."