The crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous persons isn’t only a Canadian issue. How the U.S. is moving to address it

The U.S. Justice Department is launching a program to respond to the missing and murdered Indigenous persons crisis — an issue that’s been getting attention south of the border, following years of headlines in Canada. Five assistant U.S. attorneys and five co-ordinators will be given the mandate to support United States attorneys’ offices in addressing the issue. In November 2021, President Joe Biden signed the Executive Order on Improving Public Safety and Criminal Justice for Native Americans and Addressing the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous People. This new Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Outreach Program is an attempt to align with Monaco’s directive to dedicate new personnel to the issue. U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement that “This new program mobilizes the Justice Department’s resources to combat the crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons, which has shattered the lives of victims, their families, and entire Tribal communities.”SHARE: