The FBI has released a list of more than 170 Native Americans that have been confirmed to be missing throughout New Mexico and the Navajo Nation.
The list will be regularly updated, as several federal agencies try to address the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous and Native people.
“Every missing person is important. For a long time, the issue of missing Native Americans has been in the news and a lot of people have been wondering if anybody is paying attention,” Special Agent in Charge Raul Bujanda of the Albuquerque FBI Division said in a press release. “I am here to assure you the FBI has been paying attention, and together with our partners, we are taking a significant step towards justice for these victims, their families, and communities.”
Officials say that publicizing the faces and names of those who are missing regularly updating the list will increase the transparency and accountability of these efforts.
“This is an important step among many, and this multi-agency effort is crucial to provide justice and victim services to communities that have historically been underserved,” said New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas in a statement.
However, victimization rates for many violent crimes against Indigenous and Native community members remain disproportionately high.
Native American and Alaska Native rates of murder, rape, and violent crime are all higher than the national averages, according to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA).
