Idaho leader wants more funding for MMIP resources

Idaho Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson grew up near the Fort Hall Reservation in Blackfoot, but he has said recent efforts to bring more attention to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Crisis have given him a much stronger understanding of the scope of the issue. 

He’s advancing increased funding for the Bureau of Indian Affairs to investigate MMIP cases through his position as chair of the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee, according to Laura Guido with the Idaho Capital Sun. 

The Burley representative has noted a federal trend toward lower funding levels across many institutions in this year’s budget, including cuts to the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service and the Smithsonian Institution. But he has shared a strong commitment to honoring trust and treaty responsibilities with tribes. His committee has proposed a 26% increase to BIA funding this fiscal year.

Idaho declared an MMIP crisis in 2020, which led to more research into the issue at the local level. But jurisdictional challenges, lack of resources and sparse attention to the problem outside of reservations have all hampered efforts to keep Indigenous community members, especially women, safe in Idaho. 

According to a Boise State University report in 2021, Idaho’s missing persons rate per 100,000 persons was 10.59 statewide – but rose to 18.99 for Indigenous Idahoans. Spokespersons for the Coeur d’Alene Tribe and the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes commended Simpson’s funding push.