May 5 declared ‘Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives Awareness Day’

United States President Donald Trump has signed a new proclamation that has declared May 5, “Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives Awareness Day.” He signed the proclamation during a trip to the Honeywell plant in Phoenix. The proclamation acknowledges the abuse sustained by the American Indians and the Alaska Natives.

Part of the proclamation reads, “[American Indian and Alaska Native people] experience domestic violence, homicide, sexual assault, and abuse far more frequently than other groups.  These horrific acts, committed predominantly against women and girls, are egregious and unconscionable.  During Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives Awareness Day, we reaffirm our commitment to ending the disturbing violence against these Americans and to honoring those whose lives have been shattered and lost.”

Trump said during his roundtable with Native American leaders and Arizona officials at the Phoenix Honeywell plant on Tuesday that “It’s been a tremendous problem.” According to the Trump administration, In Oct. of 2019, more than $270 million in grants were provided by the Department of Justice to improve public safety, serve victims of crime, combat violence against women, and support youth programs in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.

The Trump administration established Operation Lady Justice in Nov. 2019. It is an inter-agency task force charged with developing an aggressive, government-wide strategy to address the crisis of missing and murdered women and girls in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.

With the help of DOJ’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Initiative, coordinators have been placed in 11 United States Attorneys’ offices to develop comprehensive law enforcement responses to missing person cases.