Michigan leaders call attention to the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous people

Yahoo

05-05-2025

March for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples in Grand Rapids, Michigan on May 3, 2024. (Photo: Anna Liz Nichols)
Monday is Murdered and Missing Indigenous Persons Day and Michigan leaders and agencies are calling for awareness for the crisis of Indigenous communities being disproportionately affected by violence and their cases being historically overlooked.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs estimates that around 4,200 missing and murdered Indigenous peoples cases are currently unsolved as law enforcement agencies are not responding effectively or urgently to violence faced by the indigenous and culturally competent resources are scarce.
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And while Michigan made strides last legislative session to expand funding for resources for indigenous violence victims and connecting indigenous stakeholders to lawmakers, leaders in Michigan must holdfast to the commitment to end the crisis of violence, Melissa Pope, chief judge of the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi Tribal Court, chief justice of the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians Tribal Court and member of the Michigan Domestic and Sexual Violence Prevention and Treatment Board said in a statement on Friday.
'In addition to the full enactment of the laws addressing this crisis, we must commit the resources necessary for immediate and ongoing searches when Indigenous People go missing until they are found,' Pope said. 'We must also commit the resources to provide safety to victims while offering culturally honoring services to heal the trauma of survivors, support the families of the missing, and honor those who have been murdered while supporting the loved ones whose lives will be forever changed. Of crucial importance is the prosecution of those who murder and commit violence against Indigenous People. It is only through these combined efforts that Indigenous People will be safe from violence.'
The majority of indigenous people will experience violence in their life, with the National Institute of Justice reporting that 83% of men and women in the community will experience violence in their lifetime, a rate 52% higher than the general population. And women and girls are almost twice as likely to experience sexual violence than their white, non-Hispanic counterparts.
Michigan is home to 12 federally recognized tribes and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer posted a video on 'X' Monday calling violence against indigenous Michiganders unacceptable, and applauding the Michigan Attorney General's Office for creating a Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Task Force late last year to investigate long-overlooked cases.
'We all need to do more to raise awareness and pursue justice. Since taking office, I've been committed to working closely with tribal governments so we can address historic traumas and develop specific policies and protocols to investigate and reduce all incidents of violence against indigenous women and girls,' Whitmer said. 'The bottom line is, no one should live in fear, and every victim deserves justice. But let's keep working together to make it happen.'
In recognizing May 5 as Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Awareness Day, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) addressed violence against Indigenous Michiganders in a news release as a 'crisis' that the department is urgently addressing.
In the interest of raising awareness and honoring the lives that have been lost in Michigan, the state health department is calling attention to the Division of Victim Services (DVS) which provides grant funding to Michigan tribes to address sexual violence, domestic violence and other victim services in a culturally honoring manner.
Elizabeth Hertel, Director of the state health department, in a news release said the state health department is not simply committed to raising awareness, but partnering with tribal communities to best address violence and the impact it has on the entire community.