Senate panel hears of Native women's deaths, disappearances
Source: Associated Press
Mary Hudetz, Associated Press
Updated 7:09 pm CST, Wednesday, December 12, 2018
The sister of a missing Blackfeet woman in Montana expressed frustration Wednesday over law enforcement's initial response to her loved one's disappearance, telling U.S. senators that numerous Native American families are troubled by inadequate investigations into their missing persons cases.
The prepared testimony from Kimberly Loring was part of a hearing held by the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs in Washington to examine what authorities call a "silent crisis" — the deaths and disappearance of hundreds of Native American women.
Sen. Tom Udall, a Democrat from New Mexico, said factors compounding the crisis include poor coordination among the multiple law enforcement agencies tasked with investigating crimes on Indian reservations. He and other senators also shared concerns over a lack of government data to measure the scope of a problem that has gained attention following both the #MeToo movement and years of legislative efforts to address the high rates of violence against Native American women.
"The loss is horrific," said John Barrasso, a Republican from Wyoming. "That they are not represented in the data is also horrific."
Read more: https://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/US-lawmakers-examine-Native-women-s-deaths-13461178.php