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U.S. Attorney Mark Totten, MMIP Awareness Day, Michigan 2023
Michigan is grappling with a devastating crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP), and U.S. Attorney Mark Totten is committed to addressing it.
On May 5, 2023, Totten attended the MMIP Awareness Day Event at Ah-Nab-Awen Park in downtown Grand Rapids, where he participated in the 2023 March for MMIP to bring awareness and educate the public on missing and murdered indigenous persons.
The event was organized by several Michigan tribes, including the Gun Lake Tribe, the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi, and the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi.
As part of the Justice Department’s efforts to address the MMIP crisis, U.S. Attorney Totten announced the appointment of Joel Postma as the MMIP Coordinator for the Western and Eastern Districts of Michigan. Postma will provide instrumental assistance to the tribes in developing their Tribal Community Response Plans.
The MMIP Coordinator will gather reliable data to identify MMIP cases connected to Michigan, conduct outreach with Tribal communities, coordinate with Tribal, federal, state, and local law enforcement in the development of protocols and procedures for responding to and addressing MMIP, provide training and assistance, and promote improved data collection and analyses throughout Michigan.
The Justice Department’s work to respond to the MMIP crisis is a whole-of-department effort that takes many forms. One year ago today, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco joined Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland to launch the Not Invisible Act Commission, a joint Commission established by the Not Invisible Act with an essential mission — to reduce violence against American Indians and Alaska Natives.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said, “The Justice Department is marshalling the full strength of its resources to confront the crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons, which has devastated the lives of victims, their families, and entire Tribal communities. Addressing this crisis requires a whole-of-government approach, and we are grateful for the partnership of Tribal and other law enforcement agencies across the nation that are working alongside the Justice Department to help reduce crime and suffering in Indian Country.”
Key Facts
- State: Michigan
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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