- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
The recommendations, compiled by the Arizona House Ad Hoc Committee on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples, are the result of five hearings the committee hosted over three months for Arizona’s Indigenous communities to share how the MMIP crisis has impacted them. The final hearing took place on Dec. 15
Make A Donation Here
The committee includes Arizona lawmakers and tribal representatives and was launched in 2019 to focus on missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. The committee re-launched in Oct. 2022 with an expanded mission to investigate violence against all Indigenous people, including men, boys, Two-Spirit and LGBTQ.
Recommendations fall into nine key areas: Legislative, administrative, Arizona victim compensation program, victim services, data improvement, resource allocation, training and education, collaborative and law enforcement. There are a total of 83 recommendations.
The report’s primary recommendation is from a list of previous recommendations released in 2020: to establish a permanent MMIP-focused state office led by Native peoples that partners with urban Indian centers and each of Arizona’s 22 tribes.
Want more Native News? Get the free daily newsletter today.
Other notable recommendations include:
- Developing approaches to close law enforcement gaps while respecting tribal sovereignty.
- Establish a Victim Compensation Board representative of tribal jurisdiction; offer survivors and family members of MMIP wrap-around services from a network of services.
- Establish methods and protocols for tracking, gathering and collecting data on violence against Indigenous peoples, including data on MMIP, by tribal affiliation.
The committee’s work in 2019 and 2020 led to two legislative advances. House Bill 2098 — the missing child statute bill — resulted from the committee discovering that each jurisdiction has various standards for reporting missing children. The 2021 law makes it mandatory for law enforcement agencies in Arizona to report missing, kidnapped, or runaway children to the National Center for Missing and Exploited. Children. House Bill 2604, passed this year, increases the duration of a personal protection order from one year to two years and extends the time of emergency protection to seven calendar days after issuance. Additionally, the bill reduces barriers for victims in rural communities by granting emergency protection orders over the phone if court is closed.
While there is a lack of comprehensive data available to paint an accurate scale of the MMIP crisis, according to a 2022 Congressional Research Service Report , there were 9,560 cases involving missing or murdered Indigenous people reported in 2020 alone.
More Stories Like This
Native News Weekly (August 25, 2024): D.C. BriefsUS Presidents in Their Own Words Concerning American Indians
Native News Weekly (August 4, 2024): D.C. Briefs
Read the Text of President Trump's Address to Nation on US Bombing Iran
Otoe-Missouria Project Releases Historical Marker Audit, Community Surveys
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.
Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.
Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher
