- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
The FBI is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the death of Mona Renee Vallo, a member of the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation and a resident of Acoma, New Mexico.
On March 9, 2022, passers-by discovered the body of Vallo on U.S. Route 66, New Mexico Highway 124, mile marker 20, in Laguna Pueblo, New Mexico.
Her injuries were consistent with a hit-and-run crash. She may have been struck at approximately 7 p.m. on the date her body was found.
"The deaths of too many Native American men and women remain unsolved," said Special Agent in Charge Raul Bujanda of the Albuquerque FBI Division in a statement to the media. "We are working with the Pueblo of Laguna Public Safety Department to give Mona's family the justice they deserve. The public can help by contacting us if they have any information about her death."
Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact the FBI at 505-889-1300 or go online to tips.fbi.gov.
An FBI poster and downloadable photo of Vallo can be found at https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/seeking-info/mona-renee-vallo
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
Native News Weekly (July 6, 2025): D.C. Briefs
WAPO's Dana Hedgpeth Selected as 2025 IJA-Medill Milestone Achievement Award Winner
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
