Alaska Faces MMIP Crisis: DOJ Boosts Outreach, Prosecutions

ANCHORAGE, AK – While Washington D.C. acknowledges May 5th as National Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Awareness Day, the grim reality on the ground in Alaska remains stark. The Justice Department is scrambling to address a crisis decades in the making, with Indigenous communities disproportionately impacted by violence and disappearances. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland admits the current efforts are insufficient, stating, “There is still so much more to do in the face of persistently high levels of violence that Tribal communities have endured for generations, and that women and girls, particularly, have endured.” The promise of justice feels hollow to families still waiting for answers.

The DOJ’s response, unveiled last July, centers around the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program. Ten attorneys and coordinators have been permanently assigned to five regions nationwide – Northwest, Southwest, Great Plains, Great Lakes, and Southeast – to focus on prevention and response. Crucially for Alaska, Ingrid Goodyear has been permanently appointed as the MMIP Coordinator for the Great Plains Region, after four years as a contracted coordinator. Goodyear’s work has involved extensive collaboration with Federal, State, local, and Tribal law enforcement, attempting to bridge the gaps that have long hampered investigations.

Goodyear’s recent achievements include supporting the Tanana Chiefs Conference and Fairbanks Native Association in developing the First Urban MMIP Tribal Community Response Plan (TCRP) for the Fairbanks and TCC region. This plan aims to provide a unified strategy for the region’s 39 villages, attempting to coordinate responses to MMIP cases. For the past four years, she has also spearheaded a multidisciplinary working group dedicated to MMIP issues across Alaska, focusing on training, education, and consultations. But these initiatives are, at best, a band-aid on a gaping wound. The sheer scale of the problem demands more than meetings and plans.

Beyond MMIP, the DOJ is also tackling the fentanyl crisis ravaging rural Alaska Native communities. U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker recently announced the charging of 53 individuals following a multi-jurisdictional investigation into a transnational organized crime ring allegedly trafficking kilograms of fentanyl – and other deadly drugs – to villages like Goodnews Bay and Tyonek, populations barely exceeding 200. The influx of narcotics is fueling violence and exacerbating the existing vulnerabilities within these communities. Three new Tribal Assistant U.S. Attorneys have been hired to focus specifically on prosecuting cases in rural Alaska, a move Tucker describes as a demonstration of his office’s “unwavering commitment.”

While the hiring of specialized prosecutors and the permanent appointment of Goodyear are steps in the right direction, critics argue the DOJ’s response remains reactive rather than proactive. The focus on prosecution, while necessary, doesn’t address the root causes of the crisis – systemic poverty, lack of resources, and historical trauma. Garland acknowledges the need for more, stating the DOJ seeks to “honor those who are still missing, those who were stolen from their communities, and their loved ones who are left with unimaginable pain.” But empty platitudes won’t bring back the missing.

On May 5th, Goodyear will join the Nome community for an awareness walk and speaking event, a symbolic gesture of solidarity. However, the real test of the DOJ’s commitment will be measured not in awareness campaigns, but in concrete results – solved cases, brought perpetrators to justice, and, most importantly, a sustained reduction in the number of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons in Alaska. The Grimy Times will continue to track these developments and hold the DOJ accountable for its promises.