Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed the state budget Wednesday which included $200,000 to address the ongoing crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives. But advocates are saying it’s not enough.
These new funds have the potential to create a new task force that would be led by Attorney General Raúl Torrez, but it’s unclear if he will use them for that purpose. The state legislature unanimously passed a memorial last month calling on Torrez to reconvene the task force that was disbanded by the governor last year.
The Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women says this is a step forward, but they want to ensure the task force operates with transparency, inclusivity, and with accountability.
“Because the coalition has had its own issues and communicating with the state,” said Ryder Jiron of Isleta Pueblo, policy and communication coordinator for the coalition.
The group is also calling on the state to ensure advocates for MMIWR and survivors are part of creating and operating the task force.
“They have the first-hand accounts, whether that's going through the systems or giving stories of what happened to the relatives,” said Jiron.
Jiron says transparency and accountability can happen by providing updates on the progress and activities of the task force, to ensure its meeting the needs of the MMIWR survivors and families.
On Thursday, New Mexico Indian Affairs Department Secretary Josett Monette from the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians announced the launch of a public awareness campaign for the MMIWR crisis to include billboards, web, video, radio and social media throughout the state.
The 56 billboards will be posted around Gallup, Farmington, and other locations with large Indigenous populations. With the web and digital promotion seen on screens and mobile devices across the state.
The new funds will be available in the next fiscal year starting in July.
Support for this coverage comes from the Thornburg Foundation.
