Task force issues new recommendations to address missing, murdered Indigenous people
The Missing, Murdered and Indigenous Women and People Task Force issued 10 new recommendations to the Legislature Monday to address the crisis, the response to violence perpetuated against Indigenous people, and to extend research in its first report since the office was established in 2021.
The group’s first recommendation was to extend the length of time that the MMIWP Task Force is authorized and funded from 2023 until June 30, 2025. The group believes they will need more time to fully address the crisis, according to a news release from Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s office released Monday.
The Task Force also wants to expand research and data to look at violence across the spectrum of genders including men, boys, women, girls and members of the LGBTQ2S community. “The Task Force data and research team will pay special attention to the link between gender and violence,” the task force noted.
Not only does the MMIWP Task Force recommend that all law enforcement agencies use the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, they said there needs to be more collaboration between federal, state, county, local, and Tribal social and health services as well.
“The Task Force shall develop best practices for law enforcement agencies and for social and health services to improve this collaboration and coordination,” the task force said.
Additionally, the Task Force recommended that the Legislature fund and establish a Cold Case Investigation Unit with a specific focus on MMIWP. The office would be part of the Attorney General’s Office.
Communication is also an important part of the recommendations.
For example, the group would like to see law enforcement agencies create more transparency and improve communication with family members of MMIWP cases by implementing new strategies. Community services and programs should “utilize inclusive language that reflects the experiences of MMIWP families and survivors,” they said.
The group also is asking local public agencies to waive or reduce fees to reduce “administrative burdens associated with hosting large events such as MMIWP marches, rallies, vigils and memorials.”
The group had a recommendation for Ferguson’s office too: “update and re-issue the Missing Person’s Resource.”
Finally, the group would like to continue to consult with “federally-recognized tribes in support of sovereignty and self determination.”
“Violence against Indigenous women and within Indigenous communities continues to be underreported and misunderstood throughout Indian Country and the United States,” the news release said. “Complex issues around jurisdiction and data collection have created obstacles to understanding the full extent of how many Indigenous women have gone missing, been murdered or been the victim of other types of gender-based crime over generations.”
There are 25 members on the MMIWP Task Force including Rep. Debra Lekanoff, D-Bow; Rep. Gina Mosbrucker, R-Goldendale; and Anna Bean, a council member for the Puyallup Tribe. The group is facilitated by Ferguson’s office.
Lekanoff introduced legislation during the 2022 legislative session that created an alert system for missing, murdered and Indigenous people in Washington state. The bill cleared both chambers of the legislature unanimously and was signed into law in March.
According to a report by the Urban Indian Health Institute, murder is the “third-leading cause of death among American Indian/Alaska Native women.” Seattle and Tacoma are two of the cities with the highest number of MMIW/P cases in the U.S., the report said.
There are 29 federally recognized Tribes in Washington, according to the Attorney General’s Office.
The Task Force noted that their approach to finding solutions to the crisis “lies in the experiences, recommendations and suggestions from impacted Indigenous community and family members.”
The Legislature will consider these recommendations in the upcoming session that begins in January.
The next report from the Task Force will be released in June 2023.
This story was originally published August 2, 2022 at 9:11 AM with the headline "Task force issues new recommendations to address missing, murdered Indigenous people."
