Trump Sets up Task Force to Investigate Missing and Murdered Native Americans

President Donald Trump has tasked three members of his Cabinet to work together to investigate the high number of American Indians and Alaska Natives who have been murdered or gone missing.

The Department of the Interior, Department of Justice, and Department of Health and Human Services met as a task force for the first time on Wednesday, co-chaired by Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt and Attorney General William Barr.

The task force “is composed of federal officials charged with enhancing the criminal justice response, consulting with tribal governments on potential solutions and empowering native communities with information,” a press release announcing the new campaign said.

“President Trump is committed to addressing systemic challenges in Indian Country, and this task force will develop and implement an aggressive, government-wide strategy to combat the crisis of missing and murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives,” Bernhardt said. “By working together and listening to impacted citizens and tribal communities, we intend to tackle these complex issues.”

“The disappearance and death of American Indian and Alaska Native people, particularly women and girls, is an especially tragic chapter in a long story of marginalization and trauma suffered by native people,” Barr said. “We are committed to addressing this challenge, to reducing the violence and protecting the vulnerable from exploitation and abuse.”

More