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

Buffalo’s Fire

Buffalo’s Fire

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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.

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.

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Buffalo’s Fire

Buffalo’s Fire

Location: Bismarck, North Dakota

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