Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls

A San Carlos Apache teen who was reported missing and then found dead marks one of the latest tragedies as Native American communities continue to grapple with high rates of people being killed or going missing.

A bipartisan bill in Congress aims to bolster tribal law enforcement and combat the epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous people. The BADGES Act makes resources available, assists with officer recruitment and retention and increases tribal access to a national missing persons database.

The Navajo Police Department Shiprock District is asking for the public’s help in locating a missing person. 33-year-old Marissa Jacobson was last seen in July of 2022 in Farmington, New Mexico.

According to the new guidelines, all investigators will be trained to employ a victim-centered, trauma-informed and culturally responsive approach to criminal investigations.

Ella Mae Begay went missing from her home in Sweetwater, Arizona, in 2021. Her niece walked to Washington, D.C., to raise awareness for her missing aunt and missing and murdered Indigenous women worldwide.

Navajo Nation officials say they have issued an executive order to investigate and locate missing tribal members in a manner that is empathetic to victims and their families.

Tre James, the suspect in the murder of a Navajo woman whose remains were found on the Hopi reservation last year was ordered to remain in custody by a magistrate judge in Flagstaff Tuesday. The victim’s family traveled from across Arizona and New Mexico to show support at the hearing.

The Navajo Police Training Academy last week awarded certificates to the first group of graduates of a new women’s empowerment program focusing on self-defense, situational awareness and assault prevention.

The Navajo Police Department is asking for the public’s help in locating a missing teenage girl. Authorities say 14-year-old Nevah Martin Kiyite was last seen leaving Crownpoint High School on the Navajo Nation in New Mexico around 3:45 p.m. on May 3, 2022.

In the U.S., Indigenous women and girls go missing and are murdered at disproportionately high rates. The Urban Indian Health Institute says homicide is the third-leading cause of death among Native American women, who also face rates of violence up to 10 times higher than the national average.