On Tuesday, Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers announced that Grace Johnson (Oglala Sioux Tribe) will serve as the Liaison for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons for the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office.
The Liasion for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons is supervised and led by Bureau Chief of the Criminal Bureau. The liaison will coordinate with tribal,federal, state, and local entities in reporting and investigating missing and murdered Indigenous persons.
According to a report released in May 2023, Native American individuals made up from 4.3 percent to 5.9 percent of Nebraska’s missing-person population, depending on the time interval, but only 1.5 percent of the state’s overall population.
A 2014 graduate Bellevue University, Johnson received a master’s in clinical counseling. Since then, she has extensive experience working with tribal communities.
She previously served as an advisory board member for Community Action as part of the Honoring Indigenous Families Grant. In addition, she held positions on the Great Plains Tribal Leaders Health Board and the Nebraska Indian Child Welfare Coalition Board.
In 2022, Grace Johnson served as a mental health therapist for the University of Nebraska Medical Center after previously serving as the Director of Behavior Health Department for the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska.
The Unicameral (Nebraska legislature) funded this position earlier to improve investigations and reporting for missing and murdered persons in Native communities.
More Stories Like This
Native News Weekly (August 25, 2024): D.C. BriefsNative News Weekly (August 4, 2024): D.C. Briefs
Feds Release Media Guidelines for Reporting on MMIP Cases
Native Bidaské with Robert Maxim on the Recently Released Brookings Report on Indian Boarding Schools
Navajo Council Speaker Crystalyne Curley Visits Navajo Veteran’s homesite
Can we take a minute to talk about tribal sovereignty?
Sovereignty isn't just a concept – it's the foundation of Native nations' right to govern, protect our lands, and preserve our cultures. Every story we publish strengthens tribal sovereignty.
Unlike mainstream media, we center Indigenous voices and report directly from Native communities. When we cover land rights, water protection, or tribal governance, we're not just sharing news – we're documenting our living history and defending our future.
Our journalism is powered by readers, not shareholders. If you believe in the importance of Native-led media in protecting tribal sovereignty, consider supporting our work today.
Right now, your support goes twice as far. Thanks to a generous $35,000 matching fund, every dollar you give during December 2024 will be doubled to protect sovereignty and amplify Native voices.
No paywalls. No corporate owners. Just independent, Indigenous journalism.
