[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 93 (Monday, May 13, 2024)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 41297-41298]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-10533]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 89 , No. 93 / Monday, May 13, 2024 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 41297]]


                Proclamation 10752 of May 3, 2024

                
Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness 
                Day, 2024

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                For decades, Native communities across this continent 
                have been devastated by an epidemic of disappearances 
                and killings, too often without resolution, justice, or 
                accountability. On Missing or Murdered Indigenous 
                Persons Awareness Day, we honor the individuals missing 
                and the lives lost, and we recommit to working with 
                Tribal Nations to end the violence and inequities that 
                drive this crisis, delivering safety and healing.

                Across Indian Country, justice for the missing has been 
                elusive for too long. Too many Native families know the 
                pain of a loved one being declared missing or murdered, 
                and women, girls, and LGBTQI+ and Two-Spirit 
                individuals are bearing the brunt of this violence. In 
                the depths of their grief, the work of investigating 
                these disappearances, demanding justice, and fighting 
                for the hopeful return of their loved ones has fallen 
                on the shoulders of families. Legions of brave 
                activists have sought to change that. We need to 
                provide greater resources and ensure the accountability 
                that every community deserves.

                During my first year in office, I signed an Executive 
                Order directing Federal agencies to join Tribal Nations 
                in responding to this crisis with new urgency. Since 
                then, the Department of Justice and the Department of 
                the Interior have worked together to accelerate 
                investigations and bring families closure in ways that 
                respect their cultures and the trauma they have 
                endured. The Department of the Interior created a unit 
                dedicated to this work, and the Federal Bureau of 
                Investigation has hired personnel to focus on these 
                cases and ensure that victims' families are heard 
                throughout this process. Further, as a result of an 
                effort spearheaded by Secretary of the Interior Deb 
                Haaland when she was in the Congress, Federal agencies 
                are responding to and implementing the recommendations 
                of the Not Invisible Act Commission--a commission 
                composed of loved ones of missing or murdered 
                individuals, law enforcement, Tribal leaders, Federal 
                partners, service providers, and survivors of gender-
                based violence--to combat this epidemic. We will 
                continue working with the governments of Canada and 
                Mexico through the Trilateral Working Group on Violence 
                Against Indigenous Women and Girls to make sure our 
                efforts are coordinated and incorporate Tribal input.

                At the same time, we are supporting efforts within the 
                community to crack down on gender-based violence in 
                Indian Country. We reauthorized the Violence Against 
                Women Act (VAWA) in 2022, which included historic 
                provisions to strengthen Tribal sovereignty and safety, 
                expanding Tribal jurisdiction to include prosecution of 
                non-Native perpetrators of stalking, sexual assault, 
                sex trafficking, and child abuse for crimes committed 
                on Tribal lands. Further, my Administration invested in 
                training for law enforcement and Federal court officers 
                to ensure they respond to cases of gender-based 
                violence through a trauma-informed and culturally 
                responsive approach. My new Budget designates $800 
                million for the Department of Justice to support VAWA 
                programs, including a new grant program that will work 
                to address the missing or murdered Indigenous persons 
                crisis.

[[Page 41298]]

                The United States has made a solemn promise to fulfill 
                its trust and treaty obligations to Tribal Nations and 
                to help rebuild Tribal economies and institutions. 
                Ending this devastating epidemic is an important piece 
                of that work. Today, we mourn with the families who 
                have lost a piece of their soul to this crisis, and we 
                honor the Indigenous activists and advocates who have 
                summoned the courage to shine light on the tragedy. 
                Their actions have already saved countless lives. 
                Together, we will resolve these unanswered questions 
                and build a future for everyone based on safety, 
                security, and self-determination.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of 
                the United States of America, by virtue of the 
                authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws 
                of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 5, 2024, 
                as Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness 
                Day. I call on all Americans and ask all levels of 
                government to support Tribal governments and Tribal 
                communities' efforts to increase awareness and address 
                the issues of missing or murdered Indigenous persons 
                through appropriate programs and activities.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                third day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand 
                twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United 
                States of America the two hundred and forty-eighth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2024-10533
Filed 5-10-24; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F4-P