MMIP Crisis Ignites Federal Action: U.S. Attorney’s Office Joins Awareness Day

In a desperate bid to address the escalating crisis of missing and murdered indigenous persons, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon has joined forces with federal partners and American Indian communities to mark May 5, 2024, as National Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day.

As part of this effort, the office announced the appointment of Cedar Wilkie Gillette as the new MMIP Regional Coordinator for the Northwest Region. Gillette, who has been serving as the District of Oregon MMIP Coordinator since June 2020, will now oversee MMIP cases in California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington.

Ms. Wilkie Gillette will work closely with Bree R. Black Horse, who was appointed as the MMIP Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northwest Region in February 2024, in the Eastern District of Washington. The two will focus on preventing and responding to missing or murdered indigenous people cases, including assisting in investigations, promoting communication among law enforcement agencies, and supporting Tribal communities.

The MMIP Regional Outreach Program, launched in July 2023, has placed 10 attorneys and coordinators in five designated regions across the United States to address this critical issue. The program prioritizes MMIP cases, consistent with the Deputy Attorney General’s directive to U.S. Attorney’s Offices promoting public safety in Indian Country.

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland stated, “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.” He emphasized the need for a whole-of-department effort to combat this crisis, citing the joint response released by the Departments of Justice and the Interior in March.

The Department of Justice has awarded over $268 million in grants to enhance Tribal justice systems and strengthen law enforcement responses. These awards have also gone toward improving the handling of child abuse cases, combating domestic and sexual violence, supporting Tribal youth programs, and strengthening victim services in Tribal communities.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon, along with its partners, remains committed to addressing the MMIP crisis and providing support to Tribal communities. As Natalie Wight, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, noted, “Cedar is abundantly qualified for this position and we are eager for her to expand the great work she has done here in Oregon throughout the Northwest Region.”