Let’s Talk New Mexico 10/21 8am: It’s still unclear exactly how many cases there are in New Mexico of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Relatives. People from Arizona and Utah are also wondering about what happened to their family members since tribal jurisdictions hit heads with federal, state, tribal and city investigators. Even though public officials express concern, the families of people gone missing or found dead have experienced ineptitude by the criminal legal system and police, who have said that jurisdiction issues can impede their efforts.
From poor collaboration and fractured allocation of resources, the system is broken. So it’s on families to keep talking about it, keep exerting pressure, and keep seeking answers and justice.
On the next Let's Talk New Mexico, we want to hear from you: What can be done to prioritize cases of missing and murdered Indigenous people? What do you wish you were seeing that you aren’t when it comes to these cases? What strategies do families and advocates employ to search for loved ones? How can people help?
Your hosts for this episode are former KUNM reporter Marisa Demarco, who’s now the editor of a new journalism outlet: Source New Mexico, and reporter Shaun Griswold, who writes for the Source.
Join the conversation by emailing letstalk@kunm.org or call in live during the show, Thursday, Oct. 21, at 8 a.m. on KUNM.
Guests:
Chastity Sandoval, MMIW Task force, case manager after care
Darlene Gomez, MMIW Task force, attorney
Navajo Nation Police Department Chief, Phillip Francisco
Angel Charley, Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women
Shelda Livingston - sister, Pepita Redhair
MORE INFO:
State officials don’t know how many Native American women are missing (Source NM, 2021)
Families gather to speak for MMIW in Old Town (Source NM, 2021)
New Mexico’sMissing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Relatives Task Force
Tribal community response when a woman is missing: A toolkit for action
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls: A snapshot from 71 urban cities in the United States (Urban Indian Health Institute, 2017)
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Report (DOJ, 2021)
RESOURCES:
StrongHearts Native Helpline: 1-844-7NATIVE (1-844-762-8483)
Rape Crisis Center of Central N.M. 24- Hour Crisis Hotline: (505-266-7711)
The Life Link 24-Hour Crisis Response Line: 1-505-GET-FREE (1-505-438-3733)
You can also text “HELP” or “INFO” to BEFREE (“233733”)
MENTAL WELLNESS HELP:
New Mexico Crisis and Access Line: 1-855-NMCRISIS (662-7474)
24 hours a day, 7 days a week
New Mexico Peer-to-Peer Warmline: 1-855-4NM-7100 (466-7100)
Call 7 a.m.–11:30 p.m. | Text 6 p.m.–11 p.m. every day
Language services always available