Missing and Murdered Indigenous People

American Indian and Alaska Native people are at a disproportionate risk of experiencing violence, murder, or going missing and make up a significant portion of the missing and murdered cases.

The Missing and Murdered Unit within the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services (BIA-OJS) investigates unsolved missing and murdered cases in Indian Country. Upon request by tribal leadership(s), the Unit can assist or provide investigative services to Public Law (P.L) 93-638 Contracted Tribes, Self-Governance Tribes, to include Tribes where BIA/OJS provides direct law enforcement services.

The Missing and Murdered Unit (MMU) is available to assist or provide investigative services to Tribes under the Public Law (P.L.) 83-280 status upon request by tribal leadership. Only upon request, the MMU is also available to assist or provide investigative services to state, county, city municipalities law enforcement departments who provide law enforcement services to tribes within their perspective state. This assistance can be provided when Missing and Murdered incidents involve Natives/Alaskan that have occurred outside of an Indian Country.

The MMU Unit may be available to assist with reported “Acute” missing Native/Alaskan Natives. The request must be made from the law enforcement authority (Federal/Tribal/State/County/City) having jurisdiction over a reported case. Other factors for MMU providing assistance could be an agency’s lack of manpower to actively handle the demands of a reported “Acute” missing Native/Alaskan Native case.

Definitions:

An "Acute" missing is defined as a case to where life or imminent danger exists to the individual(s) and time is critical.

The term Indian country is defined in 18 U.S.C. § 1151 and 40 C.F.R. § 171.3 as:

1. all land within the limits of any Indian reservation under the jurisdiction of the United States Government, notwithstanding the issuance of any patent, and including rights-of-way running through the reservation.
2. all dependent Indian communities within the borders of the United States whether within the original or subsequently acquired territory thereof, and whether within or without the limits of a state; and
3. all Indian allotments, the Indian titles to which have not been extinguished, including rights-of-way running through the same.

Consistent with the statutory definition of Indian country, as well as federal case law interpreting this statutory language, lands held by the federal government in trust for Indian tribes that exist outside of formal reservations are informal reservations and, thus, are Indian country.

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