PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Rebecca Stewart

Telephone: 513-479-3335

Email: info@EndToDV.org

14 States Now Endorse Sex-Inclusive Missing-and-Murdered-Indian ‘Persons’ Approach

WASHINGTON / March 29, 2022 – The vast majority — 68% — of all missing American Indians are men and boys, according to the federal NamUs database (1). And men represent 75% of all Indian victims of homicide, according to the Centers for Disease Control (2). As a result, the sex-inclusive Missing and Murdered Indian Persons approach, also known as “MMIP,” has been endorsed in 14 states around the country.

These 14 states are listed on the website of the Coalition to End Domestic Violence (3):

  1. Alaska: The Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium has compiled a series of MMIP training resources (4).
  2. Arizona: Bill 1215, which has been approved in the Senate, would establish a Study Committee on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples (5).
  3. Colorado: A newly introduced bill would create and Office of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives (6).
  4. Idaho: The Criminal Justice Commission sponsors a web page devoted to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (7).
  5. Kansas: A bill that mandates training of police officers in MMIP problems was approved by the Governor on April 7, 2021 (8),
  6. Montana: In 2021, House Bill 98 reauthorized the state Missing Indigenous Persons task force (9).
  7. Nebraska: The Ponca Tribe has developed a presentation series on Missing & Murdered Indigenous People (10).
  8. New Mexico: Senate bills 12 and 13 would expand the ongoing search for MMIP (11).
  9. North Dakota: Seeding Sovereignty sponsors a storytelling project on Missing and Indigenous People (12).
  10. Oklahoma: Senate Bill 172, which seeks to create an Office of Liaison for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons, was signed into law on April 20, 2021 (13).
  11. South Dakota: Native Hope has approved funding to the Attorney General’s office to hire a missing and murdered indigenous persons liaison (14).
  12. Utah: The FBI has unveiled a new web page dedicated to missing and murdered indigenous persons (15).
  13. Washington State: The Washington State Patrol has established a Missing and Unidentified Persons Unit (16).
  14. Wyoming: A 51-page Statewide Report on Missing and Murdered Indigenous People is now available (17).

The MMIP approach stands in contrast to the narrative promoted by the recent PBS film, Bring Her Home, that only recognizes the existence of female Indians, and silences missing and murdered Indian boys and men.

 

Links:

  1. https://www.namus.gov/MissingPersons/Search
  2. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/ss/ss7008a1.htm
  3. https://endtodv.org/camp/bring-her-home/):
  4. https://anthc.org/what-we-do/behavioral-health/domestic-violence-prevention/mmip-training-resources/
  5. https://legiscan.com/AZ/text/SB1215/id/2481780
  6. https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/new-legislation-in-colorado-would-create-office-of-missing-murdered-indigenous-relatives
  7. https://icjc.idaho.gov/subcommittees/murdered-and-missing-indigent-persons/
  8. https://kansasreflector.com/2021/01/21/kansas-legislators-say-training-is-first-step-in-addressing-high-rates-of-missing-murdered-indigenous-people/
  9. https://dojmt.gov/mmip-home/
  10. https://www.poncatribe-ne.org/events/missing-murdered-indigenous-people-presentation-series/
  11. https://www.kob.com/albuquerque-news/mmip-crisis-senators-hope-to-pass-bills-to-look-into-missing-and-murdered-indigenous-people/6387047/
  12. https://seedingsovereignty.org/mmip
  13. https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2021/04/21/missing-murdered-native-american-law-signed-by-oklahoma-governor/7299620002/
  14. https://www.newscenter1.tv/indigenous-organization-partners-with-south-dakota-to-fund-mmip-liaison/
  15. https://kutv.com/news/local/fbi-unveils-webpage-dedicated-to-missing-and-murdered-indigenous-persons
  16. https://www.wsp.wa.gov/crime/alerts-missing-persons/missing-indigenous-persons/
  17. https://wysac.uwyo.edu/wysac/reports/View/7713