AIRWAY HEIGHTS, Wash. — For the second year, Washington's Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People Task Force is bringing together diverse voices and perspectives for an MMIWP summit.
This year's event is being held at Northern Quest Resort and Casino in Airway Heights. The summit launched Wednesday morning.
"Families are really hurting and the people who are missing or murdered, they're our loved ones," said Monica Tonasket, a Spokane Tribe council member.
According to the task force, indigenous people make up less than two-percent of the state's population, yet represent more than four-percent of the state's total homicides as of July 2022.
During Wednesday's morning session, leaders from different tribes shared what they've been doing to address the crisis and what can still be done.
"The summit brings together all the key people," Tonasket said.
Along with tribal representatives, the crowded Loft of the resort featured law enforcement, legislators, and loved ones of missing or murdered indigenous people.
Tai Simpson, the co-executive director of Idaho's Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence, said they are pushing for advocacy training for law enforcement in Idaho so victims and families are treated with more empathy and understanding.
Leaders with the Colville tribe shared their efforts to use cameras and license plate readers to monitor reservation borders for illegal activity, including human and drug trafficking.
Tonasket says since she first attended the previous summit, the Spokane Tribe has written a community response plan to MMIWP reports.
"The most important piece of the process is to improve communication between all agencies. That's how we're able to respond better," she said.
That plays off Washington's missing indigenous person alert system, which rolled out in July 2022. It's the first such system in the country.
"Previously you used to have to wait a number of hours before you could even report somebody missing," Tonasket said. "Now it's just a matter of minutes."
Statewide, the attorney general's office has committed new support for MMIWP cases, creating a cold case task force.
U.S. attorney for Washington's eastern district Vanessa Waldref also shared an update about a Department of Justice selection that allows her office to appoint a new assistant attorney to specifically handle such cases.
"Through those task forces we're increasing our communication and collaboration to make sure cases don't fall through the cracks and that families know who they can turn to for information about their missing loved ones," Waldref said.
Tonasket hopes more people will become involved and educated about the MMIWP crisis. She says one reason she likes the summit is that it allows the sharing of new ideas and also allows the voices of families to be heard.
"We can all play a role in improving the outcomes," she said.
The summit continues Thursday, where loved ones of MMIP can share their stories, ask questions, and participate in healing circles.
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