Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Relatives

May 5th is the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives. As part of national efforts to bring attention to the crisis of violence facing Indigenous people, Native Performing Arts Network is organizing readings of plays by Native American writers that address the crisis of violence facing Indigenous people in the Americas. On May 5, 2026, play readings will be held in cities and towns across the United States — including a reading presented by NPAN of a script still in development.

This is not just a crisis of violence, but a crisis of invisibility. Theaters — especially if we all come together — can make a significant impact on visibility. By joining this day of action, participating theaters will raise awareness in their communities about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives, and shine a spotlight on the work of Native theater artists, activists, and groups like the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center.

-Jeanette Harrison,

NPAN Creative Director

Play readings about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives will be held on May 5, 2026, with select readings and events occurring on surrounding dates. Explore the listings below to see if there will be a play reading near you. Additional readings will be announced on NPAN’s social media, so follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Want to read a script at home? Most of these plays are on New Play Exchange, where you can access an entire library of scripts for $10 a year. There are also published scripts for some, and a few you can watch online. Use the links below to find the scripts and various aspects of the MMIWR crisis—from a family searching for a missing loved one to the people left behind, and even complexities around law enforcement.

This is hardly a comprehensive list! Native playwrights have been writing about this issue for decades. In fact, 2025 was the 25th anniversary of the premiere of Marie Clements’ powerful play, The Accidental and Unnatural Women, which tackles 30-year-old murders of Native women. It was adapted into a film you can watch on Tubi or Amazon.

I hope that theaters and their audiences have heartfelt discussions after the play readings about solutions to the #mmiw/mmir; not just in Native communities but in any communities that experience trafficking and disappearing of their people. I am honored Say Their Names is a part of a nationwide project to call attention to this issue and hope hearing all our pieces across the continent will shift awareness and impact all communities.”

-Marcie Rendon, whose play Say Their Names will be presented in Minneapolis and Colorado Springs.