Feds Join Forces to End Indigenous Person Violence Crisis

Grimy Times Investigation: Feds Join Forces to End Indigenous Person Violence Crisis

By Grimy Times Staff

SPOKANE, WASHINGTON – In a bold move to address the persistently high levels of violence endured by Tribal communities, U.S. Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington will join with Federal, State, Local, and Tribal leaders in recognizing May 5, 2024, as Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day.

Waldref called on all citizens and residents in Eastern Washington to support Tribal governments and Tribal communities’ efforts to increase awareness of missing or murdered Indigenous people. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington fully supports efforts to reduce violence and bring awareness to this important issue.

As part of their efforts in this cause, the Eastern District recently welcomed Bree R. Blackhorse as an Assistant United States Attorney dedicated to prosecuting cases involving Missing or Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP), in connection with the Justice Department’s MMIP regional program. Blackhorse will work out of the Yakima Office, but she will serve throughout the Northwest Region – including in Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, and California.

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland highlighted ongoing efforts to tackle the MMIP and human trafficking crises in American Indian and Alaska Native communities, and other pressing public safety challenges, like the fentanyl crisis, in Tribal communities.

“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,” Garland said. “In carrying out our work, we seek to honor those who are still missing, those who were stolen from their communities, and their loved ones who are left with unimaginable pain. Tribal communities deserve safety, and they deserve justice. This day challenges all of us at the Justice Department to double down on our efforts, and to be true partners with Tribal communities as we seek to end this crisis.”

U.S. Attorney Waldref stated, “Today is set aside to recognize and increase awareness of missing or murdered Indigenous people. To address this crisis, every day we are committed to reducing violence on Native American reservations, achieving justice on behalf of victims, and supporting members of our Tribal communities overcome centuries of generational trauma, impacted by violence and displacement.”

In July 2023, U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref-hosted Tribes from across the Northwest Region of the United States at a joint federal and Tribal Summit in Spokane, Washington, focused on defending and strengthening Tribal homelands, climate adaptation, resilience, and environmental justice. The summit aimed to work with Tribal governments and other federal agencies to find ways to address and incorporate Tribal concerns into the Department’s enforcement work.

In October 2023, First Assistant Richard Baker met with representatives of the Colville Trial Court, Prosecutor, Public Defender, Probation, and Public Health Departments to discuss the MMIP Regional Program and public safety on the Colville Reservation.

In November 2023, U.S. Attorney Waldref and her First Assistant, Richard Barker, joined Federal, State, and Tribal law enforcement, community leaders, other stakeholders, and victims at the Washington State Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People Task Force’s Second Annual Summit. During the Summit, U.S. Attorney Waldref addressed the group and provided an update on federal efforts to address the MMIP crisis.”