Missing and Murdered Indigenous People

New Mexico joins three other states that have created an alert system for missing Indigenous people. The bill unanimously passed both chambers on Thursday and now heads to the governor.

Native Americans go missing at a higher rate than the national average. According to the New Mexico Department of Justice, Native people account for 16% of missing persons in New Mexico. A bill in the legislature would help address that with a new alert system.

There are 194 Indigenous people listed as missing from New Mexico and the Navajo Nation on a portal run by the state Department of Justice. But click on any entries and you'll mostly just find info like age, sex, and the agency the person was reported to. There are no photos attached to any of the entries.

Attorney General Raúl Torrez has convened the task force to continue the work of a group disbanded by the governor last year, to the displeasure of advocates

Sunday marked the second anniversary for the National Missing and Murdered Indigenous Person’s Awareness Day. The New Mexico Indian Affairs Department partnered with the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women to host an event for families to share their stories with officials – and bring attention to the ongoing crisis.

Among Native American communities, people go missing and experience violence at disproportionately high rates. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo) - the first Native cabinet secretary - has been working to implement the Not Invisible Act, which she helped pass as a Congresswoman in 2019. A commission traveled round the country hearing testimony from survivors, advocates, law enforcement and tribal leaders. It released a list of recommendations last November, and now the Departments of Justice and Interior have responded.

New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez announced a new online portal Tuesday meant to address the ongoing crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People.