During a recent April 1 webinar in the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, Memory Dawn Long Chase, an enrolled member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and domestic violence response director for National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center, explained it best. 

“If you are dealing with any human being in a tribal community, you are dealing with a victim of something.”

Sadly, the ongoing traumas regarding Missing and Murdered Indigenous People in Arizona continue to weigh heavily on the hearts and minds of many. 

In 2023, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, authorized the creation of the Arizona Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Task Force. The task force is currently in its third year of inception as has taken on the responsibility of advocating for the end of MMIP, as well as addressing barriers and challenges at the local and national level. 

The Arizona MMIP Task Force Members are: 

• Alane Breland, chief prosecutor, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community 
• Wi-Bwa Grey, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community 
• Monica Antone, community advocate, Gila River Indian Community 
• April Ignacio, co-founder, Indivisible Tohono 
• Capt. Paul Entire, Arizona Department of Public Safety designee 
• Alfred Urbina, attorney general for the Pascua Yaqui Tribe
• Rachel Hood, tribal liaison, Arizona Attorney General’s Office 
• Amber Kanazbah Crotty, Navajo Nation Council Tribal Nation 
• Corey Hemstreet, legislative specialist, Arizona Advisory Council on Indian Health Care Health Professional 
• Theresa Hatathlie, Arizona state senator 
• Bruce Pankow, chief of police, Hualapai Tribe Law Enforcement Professional

The task force is responsible for creating and submitting an annual report to Hobbs every December. O’odham Action News was able to obtain a copy of the AZ MMIP Task Force 2024 report.

In June of last year, Hobbs’ office was contacted by Native Public Media, President/CEO Loris Leslie, who proposed establishing a Missing and Endangered Persons Event Code (MEP). Later, the Federal Communications Commission joined the collaborative efforts and in August, Hobbs and members of the Office on Tribal Relations welcomed the MEP code to be shared with the AZ MMIP Task force. 

“Our goal is to help families who unfortunately experience anguish of not knowing where their loved ones are, and by establishing the missing and endangered persons alert code will also help address the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous persons which has afflicted Native communities for far too long,” said Anna Gomez of the Federal Communications Commission. 

Additionally, late last year, the Arizona task force met with other task forces and local agencies across America for the inaugural MMIP National Coordinator Gathering. During the gathering, MMIP coordinators shared information as well as resources to further refine collaboration efforts. 

The Arizona Medical Examiner/Identification Coordinator was recognized for improving the necessity of cultural sensitivity and awareness when working with Indigenous communities regarding the identification and return of remains.  

Plans for the 2025 National MMIP Coordinator Gathering are already underway. 

Entering its third year, the Arizona MMIP Task Force continues to send staff officials into tribal communities to advocate for change, meet with tribal officials to propose recommendations, and organize community efforts to one day bring an end to MMIP. 

Be on the lookout for a second O’odham Action News story on the task force report.