California Native American tribes gather to urge support for tribe-Centered solutions to end MMIP crisis
- LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
- Posted On
Tribes from across the state gathered Tuesday for the first-ever Missing and Murdered Indigenous Day of Action at the California State Capitol to advocate for tribally proposed solutions that address the crisis of violence against California’s Native Americans.
Proposed solutions to address the crisis surrounding Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons, or MMIP, included two bills introduced earlier this year by Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D-San Bernardino) and regional funding for Northern, Central and Southern California tribes, which have long been excluded from many state and federal programs.
“California tribes have united to combat the MMIP crisis, which has weighed heavy on the hearts of every Native person in the state for far too long. The time for action is now,” said Joseph L. James, Yurok Tribe chairman. “We are asking the state legislature to support a series of solutions that will help us prevent MMIP cases and keep our children safe.”
“The devastating issue of MMIP has caused untold tragedy that often becomes long lingering ripples of grief and further tragedy,” Ramos said. “We can reduce the number of cases through greater collaboration by law enforcement, tribal communities, mental health and other service providers to ensure that victims and their loved ones receive the support and attention they need to overcome these acts of violence.”
Ramos added, “This issue remains a priority for me and others in the Native American Legislative Caucus; we want California at the forefront in confronting this issue.”
The Ramos legislation builds on previous measures authored by the lawmaker.
The first bill, AB 44, takes the first steps to create parity between tribal law enforcement and other peace officers in the state. Qualified tribal police officers would be able to enforce state laws within their jurisdictions, adding to California’s overall safety network and reducing jurisdictional confusion between local and tribal law enforcement officers.
AB 44 would also allow tribal law enforcement and tribal courts access to the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System, CLETS. The computer network contains FBI and DMV-administered databases, criminal histories and many other essential records. Thirteen states and the federal government already grant tribal law enforcement officers authority to enforce state or federal law if the officers meet the respective governments’ qualifications.
Ramos’ second bill, AB 273, would require counties and courts to notify tribes, key family members and attorneys when a child is missing from their foster care placement. It would also require a judicial hearing when a child or non-minor dependent in foster care is missing, to ensure the child is located and returned to a safe and appropriate environment. Native children in the foster care system are disproportionately more at risk of becoming MMIP victims.
Tribal leaders also called for an historic investment of $200 million to build programs and services that prevent girls, women and people from becoming missing or murdered and meet pressing needs in tribal communities. The proposal will bolster tribally led response plans, law enforcement and public health programs.
In the US, California ranks in the top 10 in terms of the quantity of MMIP cases that occur in the state on an annual basis.
The Golden State also has 110 federally recognized tribes and the largest Native American population of any state in the country.