[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 134, 116th Congress, 2nd Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 10026 of May 5, 2020
Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives Awareness Day,
2020
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
The American Indian and Alaska Native people have endured generations of
injustice. They experience domestic violence, homicide, sexual assault,
and abuse far more frequently than other groups. These horrific acts,
committed predominantly against women and girls, are egregious and
unconscionable. During Missing and Murdered American Indians

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and Alaska
Natives Awareness Day, we reaffirm our commitment to ending the
disturbing violence against these Americans and to honoring those whose
lives have been shattered and lost.
Resiliency, collaboration, and resourcefulness are all necessary to
eradicate the heartbreaking incidents of missing persons and fatal
violence experienced by American Indian and Alaska Native communities
across our country. My Administration stands squarely behind the tribal
governments that are leading the efforts to address this pattern of
violence so that their people can live in peace and thrive. The Yakama
Nation in southern Washington is using the State's major violent crime
database to track the disappearance of tribal members. On the Navajo
Reservation, the Missing and Murdered Diné Relatives Work Group
is working to end sex trafficking, child abductions, and other
challenges within the largest tribal jurisdiction in the Nation. In
Montana, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes are engaged with
State officials to prioritize cases of missing and murdered tribal
citizens. Beyond these and other efforts, tribal communities are
leveraging rich cultural traditions of healing ceremonies and spiritual
practices to offer refuge, compassion, and comfort to individuals and
families in crisis.
Under my Administration, tribal governments are not alone in fighting
the epidemic of violence against American Indian and Alaska Native
people. In October of 2019, the Department of Justice (DOJ) awarded more
than $270 million in grants to improve public safety, serve victims of
crime, combat violence against women, and support youth programs in
American Indian and Alaska Native communities. The DOJ's Missing and
Murdered Indigenous Persons Initiative is placing coordinators in 11
United States Attorneys' offices to develop comprehensive law
enforcement responses to missing persons cases. These responses also
include the use of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's advanced
capabilities, enhanced data collection, and analysis to support local
efforts when required.
The Department of the Interior (DOI) is also taking action to address
the critical concerns of American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
DOI's Bureau of Indian Affairs has launched a series of ``Reclaiming Our
Native Communities''; roundtables focused on domestic violence
prevention of missing or murdered American Indian and Alaska Native
women, children, and men. The Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice
Services (BIA-OJS) is equipping officers to handle long-standing cold
cases and child abduction investigations, including positioning Special
Agents on cold-case task forces in strategic locations throughout the
country. BIA-OJS has partnered with the National Missing and
Unidentified Persons System to aid in identifying missing persons cases
involving Native Americans.
Additionally, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has made
the health and safety of American Indian and Alaska Native communities a
priority. HHS is developing a comprehensive, whole-person approach for
strengthening these vulnerable populations through prevention, health,
and education activities. The Administration for Children and Families
(ACF) partners with tribes and tribal organizations to strengthen
responses to Native American victims of domestic violence. ACF will soon
disburse $22 million to increase the public health response and expand
shelter and supportive services to victims of family violence, domestic
violence, and dating abuse in tribal communities.



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To help bolster these efforts to address this terrible crisis, last
November, I was proud to sign an Executive Order establishing Operation
Lady Justice. This interagency task force is developing an aggressive
government-wide strategy for ending the cycle of violence and providing
grants to improve public safety in American Indian and Alaska Native
communities. The task force is consulting with tribal leaders to develop
and strengthen investigative protocols to resolve new and unsolved
cases, improve information and data sharing, establish best practices
for communicating with families throughout an investigation, and raise
public awareness through outreach to affected communities.
Tragically, violence is prevalent in tribal communities, but we are
determined to reverse this unacceptable trend. Through partnerships
across Federal, State, and tribal governments, we are aggressively
working to ensure that members of tribal communities can live lives free
from fear of violence. We will not waver in our mission to bring
healing, justice, hope, and restoration to our American Indian and
Alaska Native communities.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, 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, 2020, as
Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives Awareness Day.
I call upon all Americans and all Federal, State, tribal, and local
governments to increase awareness of the crisis of missing and murdered
American Indians and Alaska Natives through appropriate programs and
activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fifth day of May,
in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-
fourth.
DONALD J. TRUMP