WASHINGTON – The U.S. Marshals Service will be permitted to partner with tribal law enforcement in cases involving missing indigenous children under legislation proposed by two senators who represent states with numerous tribes.
The efforts of Senators Markwayne Mullin (R, Oklahoma) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D, Nevada) were applauded by LaRenda Morgan, who helped lead the effort that led to passage in Oklahoma of “Ida’s Law,” named for her cousin Ida Beard, who went missing from El Reno in 2015.
While Mullin and Cortez Masto hail from opposite ends of the political spectrum, they represent states with large indigenous populations. Oklahoma has 39 federally recognized tribes, while Nevada has 28 tribes.
“I believe that those missing persons deserve to be looked for, and it doesn’t matter who’s looking for them as long as there is law enforcement out there, and if it’s the U.S. Marshal Service, then that’s somebody out there investigating and looking for them,” said Morgan, chairman of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) chapter, who supports the legislation. She is also a government affairs officer for the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes.
Morgan became involved in MMIP advocacy after she became frustrated with little progress in her cousin’s case, turning to the Oklahoma legislature to push for action.“Ida’s Law,” a bill designed to improve coordination among state, tribal, local and federal agencies, was signed into effect by Gov. Kevin Stitt in 2021.
“Ways people can advocate (for MMIP) is to support legislation that we have coming up…I’m sure that we will be having more legislation tied to the issue of MMIP in Oklahoma. This is just to help with some of the barriers and the issues, such as jurisdictional or funding,” Morgan said Saturday.
Mullin and Cortez Masto introduced the Tribal Warrant Fairness Act last month in response to many tribal voices calling for federal intervention to address the MMIP crisis.
Mullin, a member of the Cherokee Nation, is the first tribal citizen to serve in the U.S. Senate in almost two decades. Mullin is an advocate for tribal sovereignty and believes tribal security needs to be prioritized.
“The Tribal Warrant Fairness Act is a commonsense solution to fill in the jurisdictional gaps and grant the United States Marshals Service authority to assist where needed with their unique capabilities,” Mullin said.
The bipartisan legislation has garnered support from many Native communities, including the Cherokee Nation. Although the Cherokee Nation believes its enforcement agencies are strong, the added federal support would help better combat the epidemic of violence against Native communities, tribal leaders said.
“As demonstrated by our more than 90 cross-deputization agreements with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, Cherokee Nation will always work in a cooperative manner to ensure and enhance public safety throughout the Cherokee Nation Reservation,” Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said.
According to the U.S Department of Justice, Native communities face rates of violence that are higher than the national average.
The DOJ also reports that sexual and gender violence against Native women is higher than the national average. A National Institute of Justice study found that more than four in five American Indian and Alaska Native women have experienced violence in their lifetimes, with 56.1% experiencing sexual violence specifically.
In 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that homicide was among the top 10 leading causes of death for non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native peoples.
“The MMIP crisis continues to devastate tribal families and communities nationwide,” Hoskin said. “Cherokee Nation Marshal Service is the finest law enforcement body in Indian Country, but the assistance of the United States Marshal Service would bolster our efforts to address this epidemic of violence.”
