Staff Writer
GISSELE GONZALEZ
Gabrielle Petito was an average American Woman on a van life trip across the United States with her fiance, Brian Laundrie. On September 11, 2021, Gabby was reported missing by her family, whom she had lost contact with in late August. The search for her body began on September 18. Unfortunately, the remains found were confirmed to be hers. Gabby’s death was ruled a homicide.
Gabby Petito has been the headline of several news media coverage across the country. Her disappearance has also been the subject of social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. Although all of this speculation circling Gabby’s case has caused people to wonder: Why does Gabby Petito outshine so many missing Indigenous People?
In the same area where Gabby Petito went missing, 710 Indigenous people, predominantly women, disappeared throughout 2011 and 2020. Their stories never lead to news cycles. In Wyoming alone, Indigenous people made up 21% of homicides even though they only account for 3% of the population. In the US, only 30% of Indigenous homicide victims had any media coverage at all. The few stories that have gone out normally have themes of violence and graphic language and focus more on how the homicide occurred rather than the victim.
As a society, we need to put the same amount of care and amplification into the stories of the several missing Indengious women who have yet received justice. Those whose families have yet to receive answers. Those who do not receive national attention or resources. We need to fight for the same display of attention and resources as Gabby Petito received.
“We all have relatives who have gone missing or who have been murdered…”
-Denae Shanidiin
Shanidiin devoted herself to raise awareness on this issue after her
Aunt Priscilla was killed three decades ago. Her case is still unsolved.