State-Tribal Relations Day to focus on MMIP awareness

State-Tribal Relations Day will take place Feb. 25 at the Capitol Rotunda in Pierre from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., according to South Dakota State News. The 2026 theme is “Bringing Awareness to the MMIP Crisis Through Collaboration,” with a focus on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons.

The event will bring together MMIP organizations, tribal leaders and state legislators to foster collaboration and dialogue, according to South Dakota State News. As of Jan. 1, 2026, 61% of the 118 people listed as missing in South Dakota were Native American, according to the South Dakota Missing Persons website. “We must never forget the lives lost and the families still searching for answers,” said Algin Young, secretary of the South Dakota Department of Tribal Relations, according to South Dakota State News. The event is open to the public, and formal invitations have been extended to all nine tribal leaders and councils.