Departments of the Interior and Justice Convene Roundtable on Media Coverage of Missing or Murdered Indigenous Peoples and Human Trafficking

Date: Thursday, September 26, 2024
Contact: Interior_Press@ios.doi.gov

WASHINGTON — The Department of the Interior and the Justice Department on Thursday convened a roundtable discussion with Tribal representatives, advocates, members of the media, and survivors to discuss how media coverage can be improved when reporting on the crisis of missing or murdered Indigenous peoples (MMIP) and human trafficking (HT).  

The virtual roundtable was organized as part of the federal response to the recommendations of the Not Invisible Act Commission– a federal advisory committee established in November 2023 per the Not Invisible Act of 2019 to recommend strategies for combatting violent crime on Indian lands and against American Indian and Alaska Native people. During seven public hearings across the country as well as a two-day virtual national hearing that informed the Commission’s recommendations, survivors and families impacted by the crisis of MMIP and HT shared concerns about lack of media coverage and whether that may contribute to cases being ignored or going unsolved. The Commission in turn recommended the Interior and Justice Departments hold a roundtable discussion as a step toward developing a set of best practices. 

Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and Attorney General Merrick B. Garland delivered video remarks. 

“Since day one, the Biden-Harris administration has been committed to fulfilling our promises to Indian Country,” said Secretary Haaland, who authored the Not Invisible Act while in Congress. “This roundtable is part of that promise as we act on one of the Not Invisible Act Commission’s recommendations because a crisis that exists in silence will never be solved. Today is one step of many to ensure our missing relatives’ stories are told.” 

“Public communication, news stories, and social media can be crucial in finding and investigating cases of missing or murdered Indigenous persons,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “That is why, on the Not Invisible Act Commission’s recommendation, we convened this roundtable to develop best practices and guidelines to aid law enforcement, families, advocates, and journalists when a member of a Native community is reported missing. It is our hope that this convening will strengthen those partnerships, which are essential to advancing our shared goal of ending this crisis.” 

Department of the Interior Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland opened the roundtable and said, “The overarching principle that guides our work is to make life better for people in Tribal communities and making sure that Indian people have the opportunity to live safe, healthy, and fulfilling lives in their tribal communities. Public safety is a big part of this, and addressing the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples crisis and human trafficking are at the forefront of our public safety work.”   

Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer gave opening remarks at the roundtable, saying “it is critical now, more than ever,” to work together to draw attention to the MMIP and HT crises. “The potential for immediate, real-time alerts makes media, particularly social media, a powerful tool to get the word out fast when emergencies happen. And the widespread use of media facilitates information sharing and collaboration that can help resolve missing persons cases.”  

In August, Secretary Haaland and Attorney General Garland visited New Mexico to discuss efforts to confront the MMIP crisis and human trafficking with federal and Tribal leaders. Under Attorney General Garland and Secretary Haaland’s leadership, the Biden-Harris administration has worked to address the high rates of violent crime in Indian Country. Read more about these efforts on the Department of the Interior’s website.  

The Departments plan to publish best practices stemming out of this discussion by the end of the year. To submit recommendations, email newsmedia@bia.gov no later than Friday, October 4.  

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