PHOENIX — Across the country, there are an estimated 4,200 unsolved cases involving missing and murdered indigenous people, according to the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
In Arizona, we have had several high profile MMIW - or missing and murdered indigenous women and children cases - in recent years, which is why we wanted to ask the candidates running for Navajo Nation President what they would do to solve this crisis if elected.
For Crystalyne Curley, who's currently Navajo Nation Council Speaker and would be the first female president if elected, it's about healing past traumas and making sure there are resources today to prevent problems in the future.
"It's disheartening," she said to ABC15. "A lot of my steps within public safety would be re-establishing a missing and murdered persons unit within our own Navajo Nation Police Department and also successfully implementing an Amber Alert."
Although Amber Alerts are available on the Navajo Nation, Speaker Curley said many people still don't receive them due to ongoing infrastructure and broadband internet issues.
"People also go missing off the reservation," explains Chris Deschene, who's Curley's running mate. Deschene also says the Navajo Nation would need to strengthen its relationships with law enforcement and work with support programs.
Justin Jones, who is also running for Navajo Nation President, says the Navajo Executive Branch would need to get involved to help solve the MMIW crisis.
"One of the first things that we are going to do is create and designate a staff at the President's office level, specifically on the missing and murdered Indian persons," says Jones. "Part of this is also to begin to create communications to create partnerships with the Division of Public Safety, which the Navajo Nation Police Department is under, plus the Navajo Nation Department of Justice."
From there, Jones hopes there would be a quick pipeline to the U.S. Department of Justice.
"We can't just be reactive," says Jones. "We also have to be proactive."
Emily Ellison, who is Jones' running mate, currently runs a domestic violence shelter in New Mexico and says a major part of the problem is lacking the facilities to help people during a crisis.
"The facilities we lack are a 24-hour domestic violence shelter and we also lack transitional housing," says Ellison
