Justice for Missing Indigenous People: Yolanda Fraser with tears in her eyes in a Montana town. She’s by an old chain-link fence. She creates a roadside memorial with flowers, ribbons, and a spinning pinwheel. The body of 18-year-old Kaysera Stops Pretty Places was found here days after she went missing. She lived in a border town that was a Native American village. The girl’s body was in poor condition.
Kaysera’s story is sad but not unusual. Native Americans with missing or deceased family members whose cases remain unsolved have heard this story often. Fraser’s grief has turned into a quest for justice. She now leads other families seeking to raise awareness about missing or murdered Indigenous people in the U.S.
Despite the U.S. government’s efforts, most cases remain unresolved. Officials from the federal government had to close over 300 points due to jurisdictional and other issues. It’s a reminder of how hard it is for them to get justice.
Fraser can’t help but think of many other names as she tells her granddaughter’s story. Names of victims who were killed or went missing without justice. It’s concerning how these cases are treated differently from high-profile cases with media attention.
U.S. officials share the same sentiment, acknowledging the challenge of initiating investigations due to the vast array of legal domains. Time is crucial for solving cases, and waiting reduces the chances of solving them.
The federal government oversees many Native American towns. People go missing more in these parts than the rest of the country. This complicates assigning blame. This is exacerbated by a lengthy history of crime, including killings, forced assimilation in harsh boarding schools, and displacing numerous tribes from their ancestral lands.
Fraser posted a sign on I-90 in Hardin, near where Kaysera Stops Pretty Places passed away. He did this with injured people. The character remembers those from the Northern Cheyenne and Crow tribes in Montana who died or went missing.
When these names were spoken through speakers, it was a decisive moment. Some family members cried and hugged each other for comfort. These families know they’re stronger together and want to be heard.
Fraser plans to place signs near tribes across the country, with support from non-profits and her family. She believes associating faces with numbers will compel local leaders to acknowledge the presence of victims in their communities.
The story of Kaysera Stops Pretty Places happened in Big Horn County, Montana, near the Crow Indian Reservation. She had been missing for a few days before her body was found on a road. The family requested an independent review for years but received no response. This spring, they heard the government would finally help them. With the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Missing and Murdered Unit reopening the case, there’s hope for a resolution.
In 2021, U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland established the Missing and Murdered Unit to address concerns about handling crimes against Native Americans. The team has over 800 cases. Some have been solved, but many are still being considered. Due to jurisdiction issues, over 350 points remain unresolved.
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The Missing and Murdered Unit has only 15 cops. Still, around 4,200 unsolved cases involving American Indians and Alaska Natives nationwide. Indigenous people are overrepresented among lost individuals in the U.S. compared to their 3.5% population share.
But that doesn’t mean there are no more issues. From 2010 to 2020, there was a significant increase in serious crimes against Native Americans, highlighting the urgent need for action. This rise may be due to improved reporting, but issues like inadequate law enforcement and unclear responsibilities remain.
Native American communities lack accurate crime statistics, exacerbating the issue. However, efforts are underway to address this. The FBI lists around 200 missing Native Americans last seen in New Mexico. A recent study in Alaska found that 280 American Indians and Alaska Natives are missing.
As requests for federal help came in, President Biden‘s administration held field meetings to listen to tribal members, victims’ families, and survivors. People from Washington state and South Dakota can share stories and request change at these talks.
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Our Reader’s Queries
What is the missing murdered Indigenous Act?
In 2021, the President approved the 2022 reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, which expanded on progress made in previous reauthorizations. This new law included important additions to combat the crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous Peoples (MMIP) nationwide, and it also strengthened Tribal sovereignty by…
How many missing people are Native American?
Roughly 1,500 American Indian and Alaska Native individuals are reported missing in the NCIC database, while about 2,700 cases of murder and nonnegligent homicide have been reported to the federal government.
What does the MMIW do?
MMIW refers to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. It’s a movement that fights to stop violence against Native women and bring awareness to the alarming rates of disappearances and killings of Indigenous people, specifically women and girls.
What are the statistics about missing and murdered Indigenous?
During the time frame from 2009 to 2021, 490 Indigenous women and girls were murdered. This resulted in a rate of 4.27 Indigenous women and girls killed for every 100,000 in the population. This rate is six times higher than the rate for non-Indigenous women and girls, which is 0.73.