WEBCAST: Missing and Murdered (MMIP) WATCH
National Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day Event
transcript
Deb: I'm Secretary Deb Haaland
at I'm honored to join you from the ancestral homelands of the Anacostia and
Piscataway people on what President Biden has proclaimed as National Missing or
Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day. I wish we didn't need to be here. I
wish that this day was obsolete, that we didn't have to keep fighting year
after year for our people to be honored and respected. But we are here. And I
want to use today to shine a light on the national crisis of missing and
murdered indigenous peoples and give space to others to share the work they are
doing on this issue. Everyone deserves to feel safe in their communities, but
the MMIP crisis is one that communities have faced since the dawn of colonization.
For too long, this issue has been swept under the rug by our government with a
lack of urgency, attention, or funding. The rates of missing persons cases and
violence against American Indian, Alaska native, and native Hawaiian
communities are disproportionate, alarming, and unacceptable. It is
heartbreaking to know that our loved ones are at an increased risk of
disappearing without warning, leaving families and communities devastated. I
want to extend my gratitude to the organizers, advocates, native women who have
been shedding light on MMIP crisis for decades. People who have had an empty
chair at their kitchen tables, loved ones who tirelessly searched or their
relatives, service providers who hear the heartbreaking stories of family
members of the missing. I want you to know that I see you and I stand with you.
In our first year, there is much the Biden-Harris administration has done to
take this issue seriously. As many of you know, last year, I announce the
formation of a new missing and murdered unit within the Bureau of Indian
affairs office of Justice services to provide leadership and direction across
departmental and interagency work involving missing and murdered American
Indians and Alaska natives. The MMU is marshaling resources across agencies and
throughout Indian country to focus on this crisis. Since the launch ofMMU, the
department has built up personnel and increased infrastructure capacity by
launching new offices. Today, 17 BIA offices located throughout the nation have
at least one agent dedicated to solving missing and murder cases for American
Indians and Alaska natives. In December, the BIA announced on lots of its new
website dedicated to solving missing and murder cases in Indian country. The
website is bia.gov/mmu. Bia.gov/mmu. The site is an important tool to help law
enforcement, families, and communities to share critical information about
missing and murdered individuals that can help the MMU solve cases and give
closure to families. The website showcases individual missing and murdered case
profiles that can be quickly shared via social media and other digital media to
raise visibility of victims. It also provides multiple pathways to submit
important tips and other case information that may help investigators with
detection or investigation of an offense committed in Indian country. The MMU
has enabled the Department to expand its collaborative efforts with other
agencies such as working to enhance the DOJ's national missing and unidentified
persons system. Staff are also developing strategic partnerships with
additional stakeholders such as the FBI, behavioral analysis units, FBI
forensic laboratories , U.S. marshals missing child unit, and the National
Center for missing and exploited children. This unit and interior will continue
to engage in collaborative efforts with tribal, federal, and state stakeholders
to ensure accurate data and enhance community outreach. The MMU is a critical
tool in our work to address this crisis, and today, we announce steps for
another. In Congress, the Not Invisible Act now in partnership with the Justice
Department and with extensive engagement with tribes and other stakeholders, we
are putting that law into action. Today, our agencies announce the membership
of the new Not Invisible Act Commission which we formed the last year. For the
first time, the interior and Justice Department will be guided by an advisory
committee composed of law enforcement, tribal leaders, federal partners,
service providers, family members of missing and murdered individuals, and most
importantly, survivors. This commission will ensure that we hear the voices of
those who are most impacted by this issue. It includes diverse experience,
backgrounds, and geographies to provide balance once of use. The commission will
hold hearings, take estimate, and -- testimonies, and receive evidence to
develop recommendations for the federal government to combat violent crimes
against indigenous people. The missing and murdered indigenous peoples crisis
is centuries in the making, and it will take a focused effort and time to
unravel the many threads that contribute to the alarming rates. I'm grateful to
those of you who rang the alarm and gave a voice to the missing. My heart goes
out to the families of loved ones who were impacted by violence. We will keep
working to address this issue and together, I believe we will provide justice
for survivors and families. And that I will turn the floor over to Deputy
Attorney General Lisa Monaco, who will share recorded remarks for today's event.
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Lisa: I'm pleased to join you
for this important event on a day the president has dedicated to highlighting
the crisis of missing or murdered indigenous persons. This is an opportunity to
reflect on the violence endured by far too many native persons or far too long.
It is also a chance to reaffirm our commitment to bringing justice and answers
to grieving communities. Today marks a major milestone in those efforts as we
take the next step in launching our joint commission under the Not Invisible Act.
The mission is an essential one, to reduce violence against American Indians
and Alaska natives. Today, you'll hear from several tribal leaders about how
important the commission is to that work. I want to extend a special thanks to
Secretary Holland -- Haaland for her time in Congress and during her interior
efforts to establish this commission. Today's announcement is a testament to
her dedicated work and to the many people across native communities who fought
to make their voices heard. The Department of Justice is committed to
supporting the work of the commission. We are pleased the director of our
office of tribal justice will serve as a cochair of the commission, and that he
will be joined by representatives from across the department, including from
both our law enforcement and grantmaking components. No one agency can solve
this problem alone. We are also grateful the commission will include
representatives from our partners at the Department of the Interior and Health
and Human Services. But it is the appointee just announced by Secretary Haaland
who come from outside the federal government who will form the backbone of the
commission. These commissioners represent a diverse range of appearances,
expertise and perspectives, and critically, the include survivors who can speak
firsthand to the urgency of the commission's work. They also include tribal
leaders and members who know best what their communities need when it comes to
making them safer. The commission will issue recommendations to both the Department
of Justice and Department of the Interior on how to improve intergovernmental
coordination, as well as how to identify best practices for federal, state,
local, and tribal law enforcement when responding to the violence erected at
American Indians and Alaska natives. I know that native voice of have not
always been heard in these issues, but this administration is committed to
doing better. Today's announcement reflects that commitment. More broadly, the
commission also demonstrates the emphasis that the Biden-Harris administration
has placed on addressing the crisis of missing or murdered indigenous people.
Last November, the president issued a new executive order which reflected our
whole of government response to promoting public safety in native communities.
The same day, I launched a new steering committee, which is dedicated to
marshaling the Justice Department's personnel and resources to the MMIP crisis.
Since it launched, the steering committee has made tribal engagement the
cornerstone of its work, including through consultations and engagement with
stakeholders. While those conversations are ongoing, the department is already
moving to address the concerns we have heard from you. First, we have heard a
clear and consistent message that the department must do more to reach native
victims, survivors, and families. That is why I'm pleased to announce that,
today, we are crating a new position to spearhead our efforts, a national
Native American outreach services liaison. The liaison will work in our
executive office of U.S. attorneys and help ensure that victims and their
families have a voice within the department as they navigate all stages of the
criminal justice system. This new position is part of a larger effort to raise
awareness and increase outreach on the MMIP crisis. Last month, the department
launched a new page on our tribal justice and safety website dedicated to
elevating the issue of MMIP. This new website serves as a central hub of
resources for families and victim and also promotes transparency on the
department's law enforcement efforts. Last week I also had the opportunity,
along with Secretary Haaland, to celebrate the reauthorization of the violence
against women's act and its important provisions to promote safety in tribal
communities. That includes expanded special tribal criminal jurisdiction, which
recognizes the authority of tribal courts to exercise jurisdiction over crimes
of family balance, including child abuse that too often are precursors to
missing or murdered person cases. Of course, we know there is much more work to
do. This day is a reminder of just how critical those efforts are even today,
and every day, the federal government must be committed to working with tribal
nations to address the crises of missing or murdered indigenous people. And I
expect the commission to play a major role in doing so. The Department of
Justice is eager to support and learn from the commission's work. Thank you.
Deb: We are so grateful to
Deputy Attorney General Monaco and the Department of Justice for their
partnership as we move the Not Invisible Act Commission forward. Now, we will
hear from Fawn Sharp president for the National Congress of American Indians,
and fierce advocate for indigenous communities. Resident, the floor is yours.
Fawn: thank you for inviting me
to join this important event to highlight missing or murdered indigenous people
across our country. Due to the limitation that the federal government unjustly
placed on tribal nations and our ability to hold non-Indians accountable in a
tribal justice system. The violence grew because the federal government has
chronically failed in its responsibility to properly fund tribal public safety
and justice needs. Often our relatives go missing and/or murdered with little
to no response from law enforcement. In the year 2018, broken promises report,
the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights reported that although overall funding for
public safety in Indian country has increased, it doesn't even come close to
being the public safety needs in Indian country. In 2017, BIA estimated only
21% of law-enforcement, 49% of detention centers, and 3% of tribal court needs,
and the commission noted the failure to provide sufficient federal funding
undermines the ability of tribal governments to provide remote justice and
public safety for our citizens. Having the authority to hold perpetrators
accountable is an important first step, but tribal nations cannot follow
through to hold bad actors accountable without adequate and consistent funding
for tribal justice systems to support our courts, judges, police, prosecutors,
public defenders, victim advocates, and array of victim services. Tribal
leaders have continued to share the lack of security and sustainable funding
has prevented us from holding perpetrators accountable, helping survivors
establishing preventive services in our communities, and instituting
alternatives to incarceration. In addition to securing sustainable and
mandatory public safety and justice funding, our government partners must
effectively communicate and coordinate both in funding and information sharing.
We must take bold steps to fully restore tribal nations inherent authority to
prosecute bad actors and to ensure that the federal government provides steady,
equitable, and nondiscretionary funding directly to tribal nations for their
public safety needs. Our federal partners must effectively communicate and
coordinate among themselves and with tribal nations to ensure our people no
longer fall through the cracks. Thank you so much, Secretary, for your fierce
leadership in bringing us together to celebrate yet another historic and
long-overdue milestone of success during your tender as Secretary. I look
forward to the rest of our important discussion today. Thank you.
Deb: Thank you so much,
President Sharp. You are absolutely right, resources to address this crisis
have been chronically underfunded for too long. We will be looking to the Not
Invisible Act to guide us on where the federal dollars can be aimed most
effectively. President Sharp this year, we made money mental strides with the
2022 reauthorization of the violence against women act. In your opinion, what
steps should we be taking next to continue combating the MMIP crisis?
Fawn: Thank you for the
question, Secretary Haaland. The importance and magnitude of the tribal
provisions that were passed in 2022 cannot be overstated David it is truly a
significant a compliment that we must celebrate. When it seeks to fully
acknowledge our inherent tribal sovereignty and restore our tribal
jurisdiction. We must also make sure that 2022 is successfully implemented so
it can be in permitted across Indian country. The federal government -- Deb:
President Sharp? This is such an important message. We will give her a half a second
to see if she is able to reconnect. President Sharp, your voice is incredibly
important. I'm so grateful for your leadership at -- on MMIP. Your leadership
is invaluable. Now I want to turn the floor to the executive director of
national indigenous women's resource Center. Lucy?
Lucy: Needing my camera turned
on from the host. I'll go ahead and get started. Good afternoon. I want to
thank Secretary Haaland for the invitation to be a part of this esteemed panel
and the long-awaited announcement of the Not Invisible Act Commission members.
The promise that the commission holds is such an important one and we really
look forward to the work the commission and its members will do to move us
toward a more safe and just reality for our native relatives. All the missing
and murdered indigenous women and girls is just recently getting national
attention, the MMIW crisis is not new. It was born in colonization and is a
continuation of past federal laws and policies that were intended to terminate
Indian nations. One example that is similarly now getting national attention is
the legacy of Indian boarding schools. As more and more horrifying findings are
being made at Indian boarding schools across North America, we can clearly see
the connection between these policies and the thousands of missing and murdered
Indian children. It is important that as we move forward to address MMIW that
we in include addressing the full spectrum of violence against native women
included domestic violence, sexual assaults, stalking, and sex trafficking,
because they are off and acted and all born in colonization. Surely, the
federal government has an important role in improving the response to MMIW. For
one, because the violence has ignored federal laws and policies and their lasting
impact today, but two and more importantly, the federal government has an
ongoing trust response ability to Indian tribes. To move forward, we must
demand real and meaningful coordination from all federal agencies beyond the
Department of the Interior to also include the Department of Justice and the
Department of Health and Human Services. But the federal government cannot do
it alone, nor should it. As the Not Invisible Act Commission membership shows,
we need a broad coalition to create true social change. As we move forward with
implementation of the Not Invisible Act, Savannah's act, reauthorization of
2018, we must demand coordination and real buy-in beyond the federal government
to include state and local governments with leadership coming from our tribal
governments on the sovereign nations because our tribal governments are in the
best position to ensure safety for their citizens. Most importantly we must
ensure families and survivors of our centered at all times as their experience
as will be the guideposts how to improve the response to MMIW. I look forward
to the Not Invisible Act Commission's work and the recommendations that will
come out of that work, but more importantly, I look forward to real, meaningful
implementation of those recommendations. Thank you again, Secretary Haaland,
for your dedication and moving the commission and the work to end violence
against native women forward in your tenures so far. Thank you.
Deb: Thank you so much,
Director Simpson. You are absolutely right. Coordination with tribal
communities and families is paramount to effectively undress violence against
native people and the MMIP crisis is an extension of that. In addition to
improving the response to the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous
peoples, what else can everyone do to help?
Lucy: We need to be looking at
prevention, move beyond just improving the response to missing and murdered
relatives after they go missing, when we need to move toward prevention. Native
communities have countless strength that we can build upon to create a more
holistic approach to safety, so we need to really center our indigenous
protections we have from our own communities. It will require leadership from
our tribal governments, increased investment in our infrastructures which means
more resources. Infrastructure is key to reducing crime and safety generally.
An important place to start is ensuring safe housing. The ongoing and
historical crisis of MMIW is reflective of the severe shortage of safe housing
and shelter disparity that is experienced by native survivors of violence. Safe
housing is a foundational aspect of prevention. That is why at MIWRC we have
launched a resource center, the stars resource Center, the center staff has
greeted a platform of housing and shelter as a nonnegotiable human right. This
new center is going to be a key part of our prevention focus in regards to MMIW
and other forms of gender-based violence. You can follow us on social media
@safehousingforall for updates.
Deb: Thank you so much, director
Simpson. I want to thank you and the entire national indigenous resource
women's center for the work you do every day to support families and survivors.
Thank you so much for being here with us today.
Lucy: Thank you.
Deb: I am now very proud to
bring president of the Bay Mills Indian community, Whitney Gravelle to the
screen to share another facet of this crisis. President, you have the floor.
Whitney: Thank you, Secretary
Haaland for the honor to join today for the announcement of the Not Invisible
Act Commission . The Indian community was one of the first tribal nations in
the United States to complete a missing and murdered indigenous people tribal
community response plan. In preparation for the limitation of this plan, we
learned firsthand that improving safety in the day-to-day lives of our tribal
citizens in Indian country is the responsibility of a broad range of justice
institutions both within and outside our reservation boundaries. It requires a
strong element of cooperation as improving safety this estates the involvement
of social services, public health providers, pop -- tribal and nontribal
policymakers, federal and state officials, residents of tribal communities
among others. It also requires a broad range of education. As the current
spectrum of violence against indigenous women is intertwined with systematic
barriers embedded within state and federal governments. Through the efforts of
many women, including those here today, state and local law enforcement
agencies are becoming more aware about the issues surrounding missing and
murdered indigenous women. But they do not yet understand the complex
jurisdictional schemes that exist for tribes in the United beats. They do not
yet understand that tribal nations have been denied that ability to prosecute
non-Indian perpetrators, and that a lack of resources in peas investigation and
help from the federal government, which then prevents tribes and tribal nation
from providing native women, indigenous women protection and the help they deserve.
Although we were able to create strategic partnerships within tribal and state
law enforcement agencies in the developing of our community response plan, the
developing of that plan did not come without many lessons regarding the gaping
holes and information systems data collection, and resources available to
respond to any case of missing or murdered. Time is a critical element for
effective response. It is not days or even hours but rather only minutes that
law enforcement has two save someone. Minutes to alert the appropriate
agencies. Minutes to investigate and detain or arrest. Minutes to identify an
individual missing, or experiencing violence, so that they can be found before
they are lost forever. One important tool that could be developed is the
creation of a national notification system to close the gap in response to time
for tribal law enforcement officials. The Indian community and our response
plan has created a partnership with the state of Michigan that would allow
tribal nations access to the AMBER Alert notification system. But that
criterion needs to be modified to allow for more immediate use by tribal law
enforcement rather than communication to state law enforcement. Furthermore,
the AMBER Alert notification system cannot be utilized for adults, which is a
majority of missing and murdered cases. A national notification system would
also be instrumental in helping tribal nations deal with commercial business
operations, extraction industries, and large infrastructure projects where
tribal nations are more vulnerable for targeted acts of violence. We must
include implementation of that basic human right, and elements of human
security in all aspects of all industry that touches Indian country. National
notification, tribal notification system should be a part of the not invisible
act commission final recommendation. I am so looking forward to the work that
that team, the commission will be completing. I want to say thank you,
Secretary Haaland. for your work in protecting indigenous women everywhere.
Deb: Thank you so much,
President Gravelle. The insight you have about the international pieces of this
crisis highlight where the Not Invisible Act Commission is a multi agency
mission. I would love for you to describe some solutions that your community
has identified for MMIP issues residing on an international border?
Whitney: Yes, if we didn't
think that missing and murdered indigenous peoples crisis was complicated
enough, there is a fourth. Involving international barriers that must be taken
into consideration as well. Tribal homelands were artificially divided when the
United States, Mexican, and Canadian borders were formed. It cut off indigenous
peoples from their traditional homelands, relatives, sacred sites. Currently,
more than two dozen tribal nations have land within approximately 200 miles of
international borders, and six tribal nations actually have borders that
straddle international borderlines. However, we know that borders do not stop
crimes and that barriers are invisible as we conduct ourselves. So when a crime
occurs that ends up traversing international boundaries, directly adjacent or
nearby tribal reservations, tribal law enforcement officers have no authority.
State law enforcement officers have no authority. In instances like this,
allowing deputation agreements or memorandums of understanding to encompass
communication strategies in identifying points of contact are essential in
order to strengthen cooperation between all law enforcement agencies involved.
Presently, this is done by Indian community on an informal basis through our
traditional relationships with first Nations that reside across the border.
However, the Not Invisible Act Commission stand in a unique position to form
that partnership with the Government of Canada, with the government of Mexico,
to create international memorandums, international notification systems and
commitments, so that we all work together to resolve the crisis of missing and
murdered persons across all of turtle Island. It is my hope as well but that
will be a part of the committee's final recommendations.
Deb: Thank you, President
Gravelle. We appreciate so much your strong voice and everything you have
brought to the conversation. Thank you for joining us today.
Whitney: Thank you. I just want
to take a moment to recognize that we are embracing each other today in
healing, recognize those grandmothers and mothers and daughters, sisters,
aunties so that the injustices they have suffered will not continue in the
future.
Deb: Thank you very much well
said. I am so grateful to have you here. Thank you. I would like to go back to
President Sharp. Thank you for rejoining us. We understand you may need to keep
your camera off. We recognize the infrastructure needs of Indian country in
real time. Thank you for getting back on with us. Please continue.
Fawn: Thank you. And that is a
case in point on broadband connection. I am here in the homelands of these
clownish people, and even a distance from Seattle, we have challenges in Indian
country. The last point I wanted to make, the departments of interior justice,
health and Homeland Security must coordinate, collaborate, and communicate
among themselves and with tribal nations. Each of these agencies must have a
meaningful hand in the approach to address the MMIP crisis or what will not be
effective. We must pass key legislation such as the family violence and
prevention services act to fun tribal domestic violence shelters and
preventative services and pass a permanent 10% tribal nations set aside from
the crime victims fund. We must ensure our federal partners fully fund tribal
public safety and justice needs, and that this funding is transitioning away
from competitive grants, to being steady, equitable, and nondiscretionary. This
starts with the inclusion of these priorities and the president's budget and
ends with Congress appropriate that funding. Finally, we must approach the MMIP
crisis from a holistic perspective and listen to tribal leaders, survivors,
family members, on what are the best ways to address this issue in our
communities. We have lost way too many relatives over the years to this crisis.
Today's proclamation is important moments to celebrate. This is also a time to
continue forward on this positive and powerful momentum to finally draw a line
in the sand to stop this crisis and stand together to say no more. This crisis
will no doubt end with our generation. Thank you.
Deb: Thank you so much,
President Sharp. Very grateful to have you here today. And I want to thank all
of our panelists today for joining us, lending their important perspectives,
experience, and expertise to the day's discussion, and for the many years of
dedicated advocacy all of you have given to the MMIP crisis. Thank you. As we
continue our partnership with the Department of Justice, the newly announced
members of the Not Invisible Act Commission , we will make strides in
addressing violence against indigenous people. We have a long road ahead, but
it takes time to address the root causes of violence against indigenous people,
which are centuries in the making. It is not my goal to put a Band-Aid on this
crisis, but rather, address and bring the impacts of colonialism,
objectification, marginalization that contribute to the missing and murdered
indigenous peoples crisis. That takes time, but I know that with everyone
working together, and the advisement of the Not Invisible Act Commission, we
can do this. Thank you all so much for joining us. Stay safe.
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