GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. — Earlier this month –Michigan’s Attorney General Dana Nessel announced a new task force aimed at combatting abuse and violence against indigenous people.
The Missing or Murdereded Indigenous people task force is addressing the 'high' rates of violence against indigenous people.
For the tribes across West Michigan, this has been a focus for years, specifically with the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi, who has hosted events across the state about this very issue.
"We may not realize that high of a percentage in our community, but collectively, when you put the communities together it's obviously a big problem." said Matthew Wesaw, Chairman of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi.
The data backs up the tribes concerns, a 2016 study by The National Institute of Justice in the Office of Justice Programs of the Department of Justice, states that 4 out of every 5 American Indian or Alaskan native has faced some form of violence in their lifetime.
Which is why the state is trying to solve that probem with the MMIP task force.
“The MMIP Task Force marks a critical first step in combatting abuse and violence against Indigenous people in Michigan,” said Attorney General Nessel. “By prosecuting and tackling the root causes of these crimes, working directly with this broad coalition of MMIP Task Force members, we can build safer communities and pave the way for justice for the families and victims impacted by this crisis.
Its something Chariman Wessaw has seen first hand during his over 20 years with state police.
“I can tell you, over that time span I was never asked to investigate a single crime specific to Native American citizens.” Wesaw said.
According to a 2018 study by the Urban Indian Health Institute, stating there were 5,617 cases of missing indigenous women and girls, but only 116 were registered through the Department of Justice.
It's a goal for the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi to create a necessary network for the 12 federally recognized tribes in Michigan. The group understands the importance of what a network can do, playing a part in the tracking of two missing people.
"The Kansas reached out and said, there's the description of the young man. Here's where we think he is," Wesaw said. "Eventually, that person was found, most recently, within just the last couple days. We had a phone call from the tribe out in Washington where they had a missing person and they thought she also was in Indianapolis. And within a matter of a couple of days, we we're able to find her and make sure she was safe and get her return back to her family."
The chairman hopes the task forces can help reduce crime and work to educate individuals.
“If you can bring that legitimate number down, but then also include in their collaboration, training and different programs to reduce that violence, it has a twofold very positive impact.” Wesaw said.
The task force first met in September, with another meeting set for December, its focus will be on improving investigation and prosecution of missing or murdered indigenous people cases.
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