Photo of Medicine Wheel motorcycle ride in Chumash, Arizona

Indigenous Medicine Wheel motorcycle group: ‘We Ride for Her’

Denise Gee Peacock | October 15, 2024

Indigenous female motorcyclists continue to rev up their engines—as well as their messaging—to raise awareness about the high rate of missing and murdered girls and women in Native American communities. This past July, the Medicine Wheel Ride motorcycle group from Phoenix partnered with the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians in Santa Barbara County, California, […]

Photo collage of missing Indigenous Indian Country women and girls

Department of Justice building partnerships to address MMIW crisis

Denise Gee Peacock |

Saying that there is “still so much more to do,” U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland vowed to continue prioritizing efforts to combat the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) crisis. Initiatives include the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) MMIP Regional Outreach Program which places attorneys and coordinators in regions across the U.S. to help prevent and […]

Photo of Native American Indigenous female reviewing electronic data

New bill to ease Tribal access to electronic evidence

Denise Gee Peacock |

Tribal courts could soon have easier access to electronic evidence such as emails and social media messages in criminal cases—a move that would be beneficial, among other things, in Internet crimes against children investigations. U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada and Mike Rounds of South Dakota introduced the bipartisan Tribal Access to Electronic Evidence Act as […]

Photo of Native American female at dawn/dusk with this quote from Janell Rasmussen, Administrator of the AMBER Alert Training & Technical Assistance Program (AATTAP): "Today we recognize Indigenous peoples' unique struggles, as well as their resilience; their need for greater understanding and compassion; and their hope to not be invisible to those who can protect them."

Indigenous Peoples’ Day 2024: ‘We are stronger together’

Denise Gee Peacock | October 14, 2024

On Indigenous Peoples’ Day 2024, all of us with the AMBER Alert Training & Technical Assistance Program (AATTAP) and the AMBER Alert in Indian Country (AIIC) Initiative honor the rich histories and diverse cultures of Native American, Alaskan Native, and other Indigenous communities. “Today we recognize Indigenous peoples’ unique struggles, as well as their resilience; their […]

Murdered & missing women is top concern for Native Americans heading into elections

Denise Gee Peacock | July 18, 2024

Native American voters could decide major elections in 2024, and grassroots efforts are underway across swing states to get this important electorate out to vote as Democrats and Republicans vie for power. Key issues for Native Americans, particularly Native American women, include the high rate of missing and murdered Indigenous women, according to a 2023 […]

FCC advances new IPAWS alert code for missing, endangered Indigenous people

Denise Gee Peacock |

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has adopted a proposal for an emergency alert that could help save the lives of missing and endangered Indigenous people. The new alert code would make it easier for public safety officials to use TV, radio, and cell phones to notify the public about missing Native Americans and Alaska Natives. […]

Indigenous women abecoming advocates to address MMIW plight

Denise Gee Peacock |

Is there hope for the hundreds of missing and murdered indigenous women? An article by Rachel Monroe in The New Yorker begs this question, and the answer may lie in the strength of other Indigenous women. Lela Mailman became an advocate for the voiceless after her 21-year-old daughter, Melanie James, vanished in 2014 in Farmington, […]

Image showing Derek VanLuchene and Pamela Foster holding a memorial quilt she made for him in tribute to his late brother and dog.

Handmade Quilt Creates ‘Invisible Thread’ Between Two Survivors of Loss

Denise Gee Peacock | April 15, 2024

By Denise Gee Peacock For those fortunate enough to witness it, one of the most moving moments of the 2024 AMBER Alert & AMBER Alert in Indian Country Symposium came in the guise of a small package—one that guest speaker Pamela Foster quietly handed to AATTAP CART Project Coordinator Derek VanLuchene. Both share a unique […]

Photo: Group of women on the Not Invisible Act Commission, with Jolene Hardesty of Michigan shown at far right.

Not Invisible Act Commission Member Reflects on NIAC’s Key Findings

Denise Gee Peacock |

By Rebecca Sherman Jolene Hardesty has faced challenges in her 20 years of public service—from her early days as a 911 sheriff’s office dispatcher to her current role as Missing Children’s Clearinghouse Analyst and Missing Persons Coordinator for the Michigan State Police. And while she has helped rescue an estimated 600 children by providing analytical, […]

Pamela Foster, left, is shown with Chyrl Jones, Deputy Administrator for the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP).

‘Warrior Mom’ Pamela Foster Addresses Tribal Leaders About Need for AMBER Alert Training & Collaboration

Denise Gee Peacock | March 24, 2024

By Denise Gee Peacock At the 2024 National AMBER Alert Training & Technical Assistance Program (AATTAP)/AMBER Alert in Indian Country (AIIC) Symposium in New Orleans, Pamela Foster—the mother of Ashlynne Mike, namesake of the Ashlynne Mike AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act of 2018—spoke directly to Tribal leadership about the need for AMBER Alerts and AMBER […]