Missing and murdered Indigenous people’s representation in northern Arizona: inquiring about settler colonialism in print

As an Indigenous person, my exploration into the newsprint media articles is an exploration into understanding stories. It is through these stories that I understand the world. As an Indigenous anthropologist, I aim to disrupt the settler-colonial narratives of the past and present by using frameworks of Indigenous scholarship to investigate perceptions of the media regarding MMIP (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples). In this thesis I inquire about the representation of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) through various forms of media in Northern Arizona. I draw on insights about The Navajo-Hopi Observer (NHO), and The Arizona Daily Sun (ADS). I also look at new media, internet and digital technologies that use digital audio files including the Indigenous podcast The Red Nation. I suggest that there are ways in which language normalizes violence when discussing Indigenous People and communities and there is a lack of coverage on Missing and Murdered Indigenous men and LGBTQ+ persons. New media offers a reframing of the issue to connect history with present issues and do so meaningfully. To conclude this study, I urge people in publishing to portray Indigenous peoples accurately and move away from stereotypes and provide historical context to bring awareness to MMIP. This encouraged approach includes responsible use of statistical data by experts to discuss why the MMIP issue is so prevalent. New Media such as The Red Nation podcast has already done this and provides a model for discussing the issues that surround MMIP