Murdered & missing indigenous relatives
Overview
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives (MMIR) is a movement that advocates for the end of violence against Indigenous people, and draws awareness to high rates of disappearances and murders within our communities. Indigenous communities in the U.S. and Canada are impacted at a highly disproportionate rate by this crisis.
The crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous people is not new–it stems from colonization and genocide and is the result of systematic erosion of tribal sovereignty along with discriminatory systems of justice that value some lives below others. According to the FBI's National Crime Information Center, in 2020 alone there were 5,295 Indigenous women and 4,276 Indigenous men reported missing across the United States. These are only the reported cases, and they have not been reliably tracked.
What is Sb 22-150?
Highlights within the bill
The Department of Public Safety must:
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Develop and enhance partnerships with Tribal Law Enforcement and communities to build trust and ensure ease of reporting
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Coordinate with state and local offices, including tribal liaisons, to develop training and education on spiritual practices pertaining to the remains of an Indigenous person
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Coordinate with other states to ensure Colorado is using best practices for reporting, tracking and investigating MMIR cases
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Closely communicate with the families, communities and tribes of MMIP, providing consistent and timely updates, guidance on how to navigate the legal system, and resources to supportive community organizations
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Create a public dashboard on the home page of their website that displays in an interactive, intuitive and visual format, information regarding MMIR updates
We are fighting until we reach the day where there are no more stolen relatives. The day where Indigenous lives are valued and protected within this country, our ancestral homelands.
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Recent updates:
Senate Bill 23-054 is currently in the beginning stages of the lawmaking process. The Senate Judiciary Committee is currently reviewing the bill. This bill would add more requirements to the recently established Office of Liaison for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives. This would include things like conducting case reviews, training for victim advocates and designating an employee as a point of contact for families in need.
Photo on right: MMIR advocates testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee at the State Capitol building in support of a new bill on Monday, Feb, 7, 2023.
Source: Rocky Mountain PBS
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Senate Bill 22-150 was signed into law 2022 by Colorado lawmakers. This bill expanded the investigative process into cases of missing and murdered Indigenous people and created the Missing Indigenous Person Alert or MIPA through the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. The law also requires a law enforcement agency that receives a report of a missing Indigenous person to tell CBI within eight hours if it involves an adult, or within two hours for a missing child.
Daisy Bluestar, MMIR Taskforce of Colorado member and Southern Ute Tribal member.
Our involvement
Our Executive Director, Shannon Francis, sent the letter on the right to the Colorado Senate Committee in support of SB 22-150.
