Ranking Member Pingree Statement at the Hearing Investigating Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women

WASHINGTON — Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME-01), Ranking Member of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, delivered the following remarks at the Subcommittee's hearing on the Crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women:

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Good morning to our two panels and thank you for being with us today to discuss your work on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and share your firsthand knowledge.  I want to particularly thank Director Bryant, who has traveled from Maine to participate in this hearing and thank you for your work on domestic violence.  We appreciate the insights and information that will be shared today.

This is a complex crisis, and while there has been a growing awareness and focus on resolving unsolved cases, understanding and addressing other contributing factors such as drug and human trafficking, and domestic violence is equally important to confront the scale and severity of this issue. 

The Not Invisible Act and Savanna’s Act have heightened our awareness of the challenges associated with data collection and law enforcement as well as the need for additional funding for staffing and public health, safety, and justice programs that can comprehensively address this crisis. That is why it is imperative we pass a full year Interior appropriations bill and not have programs constrained by operating under a continuing resolution. 

For decades Native American and Alaska Native communities have dealt with the challenges of high rates of assault, abduction, and murder of tribal members. The statistics are sobering:

Four in five American Indian and Alaska Native women have experienced violence in their lifetime, including 56 percent who have experienced sexual violence.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that indigenous females experienced the second highest rate of homicide in 2020, and homicide was in the top 10 leading causes of death for Indigenous females aged 1-45.

Overall, more than 1.5 million indigenous women have experienced violence in their lifetime.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs estimates there are approximately 4,200 missing and murdered cases that have gone unsolved. 

While these rates are staggering, research data shows that less than half of violent victimizations against women are ever reported to the police and that even though approximately 71 percent of indigenous women live in urban areas, research is missing on rates of murder violence for those women.

Steps have been taken to address this crisis, such as the establishment of Operation Lady Justice in 2019 to pursue these unresolved cases; the creation of the Missing & Murdered Unit (MMU) within the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services in 2021 to provide leadership and direction for cross-departmental and interagency work; the 2023 launch of the Department of Justice Missing and Murdered Indigenous Person (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program which permanently places 10 attorneys and coordinators in five designated regions across the United States to help respond to cases; and the grant funding and public service announcements from the Administration for Native Americans; but we need to do more to ensure that everyone feels safe and secure in their homes and communities.

My hope is that our discussion today will shed more light on this crisis and help us discern steps we can take to affect a comprehensive response.  I know under the leadership of Chairman Simpson this Subcommittee will continue to work in a bipartisan fashion on this issue.

I yield back.

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