Murdered & Missing Indigenous Peoples
Daughter remembers Kristin Bruce as a woman ‘full of life’
Missing woman’s body found on Turtle Mountain Reservation
Unsolved Cases
BIA’s Missing and Murdered Unit Tackles Crisis with Operation Spirit Return
The BIA’s new initiative aims to identify and return unidentified Indigenous remains to their families
This story was filed on
The Bureau of Indian Affairs has launched a new initiative called Operation Spirit Return to help solve missing and unidentified person cases involving American Indians and Alaska Natives. The operation, led by the BIA’s Missing and Murdered Unit, focuses on identifying unknown human remains found within or near Indian Country, which are believed to belong to Indigenous people.
The initiative aims to reunite these remains with their families and return them to their tribal communities. The BIA is currently investigating 15 cases of unidentified persons in multiple regions, including Alaska.
The Missing and Murdered Unit is collaborating with federal law enforcement agencies, the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs), and the forensic genetics company Othram to help solve these cases.
Bryan Mercier, director of the BIA, said the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous persons is longstanding, and the government is committed to finding solutions. “We are dedicated to ending this crisis and ensuring that families have answers about their missing loved ones,” he said in a press release.
Support the Documenters Program!
The BIA’s Missing and Murdered Unit began as the Cold Case task force in 2019 under President Trump’s administration as part of Operation Lady Justice, an effort to address the high rates of missing and murdered Indigenous persons. The operation builds on previous efforts to support tribal communities in the fight for justice and accountability.
For more information or to learn how to get involved, visit the BIA’s Missing and Murdered Unit website at www.bia.gov/mmu.
© Buffalo's Fire. All rights reserved.
This article is not included in our Story Share & Care selection.The content may only be reproduced with permission from the Indigenous Media Freedom Alliance. Please see our content sharing guidelines.
Health & Wellness
Inside the NCAI Mid Year Conference: What we saw, heard and ran to cover
From early-morning strategy sessions to last-minute resolution edits, the Buffalo’s Fire and IMFA team hit the ground to report on the priorities shaping Indian Country
Education
Trump wants to cut tribal college funding by nearly 90%, putting them at risk of closing
ProPublica found that Congress was underfunding tribal colleges by a quarter-billion dollars per year. Rather than fixing the problem, proposed federal funding cuts unveiled this week would devastate the schools, tribal education leaders say
ProPublica
Native Issues
Largest tribal transit station in Minnesota under construction on White Earth Reservation
Tribal leaders break ground on long-awaited transit facility aimed at safer, more connected communities
Health & Wellness
Tribes prepare for measles outbreaks as confirmed cases in US surpass 1,000
Indian Country no stranger to diseases
Education
Inside the 13 Moons curriculum: How the Swinomish Tribe keeps traditions alive while teaching STEAM and helping to reduce chemical exposures
Other tribes can adapt the curriculum to their own communities