Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP)

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is committed to harnessing its resources to confront the crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP), which has disproportionately harmed Native communities. For generations, Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirit individuals and people have experienced high rates of violence and trauma caused by the devastating legacy of assimilationist policies of forced removal, boarding schools, and systemic oppression.  Responding with a sense of urgency is part of our nation-to-nation obligation.

The MMIP Action Plan (PDF) updates the Tribal Advisory Council's (TAC) earlier work and responds to recent White House directives. It also advances the whole of government commitment to addressing the MMIP crisis and sets out a multipronged approach to advance ACF’s work in preventing violence to Native people promoting healing from historical trauma. Importantly, it adopts responsive administrative processes such as equity, self-governance, and Indigenous knowledge, as well as identifying ways to leverage ACF’s grant funding, community engagement, and rulemaking authority.

HHS Supplemental Response to the Not Invisible Act Finding and Recommendations

HHS plays a role in addressing the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People. As a key member on the Not Invisible Act Commission (NIAC), HHS is honored to issue our response to the NIAC findings and recommendations  (PDF). The Department’s response is a supplement to the Departments of Justice and Interior’s joint response issued in March 2024.

US Department of Health and Human Service Supplemental Response to Not One More: Findings and Recommendations of the Not Invisible Act Commission  (PDF)

Healing to Wellness Courts

Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts bring together community-healing resources with the tribal justice process, using a team approach to achieve the physical and spiritual healing of the participant and the wellbeing of the community.

• Pathway to Healing and Wellness Conference
• ANA funds tribal courts through Social & Economic Development Strategies (SEDS) grants
• ACF also supports tribal court through Tribal Court Improvement Project grants

Family Youth and Services Bureau (FYSB)

FYSB supports organizations that work to promote youth well-being, prevent & end youth homelessness, & support a holistic adolescent approach by fostering collaborative partnerships across communities; leading in partnership with youth & young adults; promoting diversity, equity, inclusion & accessibility; & supporting data-driven practices.

• Serving Runaway Homeless Youth who are Domestic Victims of Human Trafficking

The Violence Against American Indian/Alaska Native People Factsheet 

The National Center for Injury Prevention and Control has updated the Violence Against American Indian/Alaska Native People factsheet.  (PDF) The factsheet features data on homicide from the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) and the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS), data on intimate partner and sexual violence from the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS). The updates also include examples from the Rape Prevention and Education (RPE) Program and the Domestic Violence Prevention Enhancement and Leadership Through Alliances (DELTA) program in the Division of Violence Prevention.  

HHS Releases Framework to Strengthen National Efforts to Prevent Human Trafficking

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the HHS Task Force to Prevent Human Trafficking , has released the National Human Trafficking Prevention Framework (Framework), a national-level strategy and resource for organizations, communities, and governments seeking to strengthen efforts to prevent human trafficking. The Framework includes strategies and approaches that can be developed and integrated into existing efforts and scaled within different contexts and settings to help partners stop human trafficking before it occurs, reduce its impact and lasting effects, and prevent it from recurring. It reflects research and best practices in violence prevention and health promotion, as well as the expertise of people who have experienced human trafficking and allied professionals. To learn more, access the full framework and listen to the Acting Assistant Secretary for Children and Families and the Assistant Secretary for Health discuss its key elements. 

Tribal Boarding School Toolkit for Healing

The Tribal Boarding School Toolkit for Healing (PDF)  is a valuable resource for those seeking to understand the historical context and impacts of U.S. Indian boarding schools and provides actionable steps, exercises, and discussion guides on how to address those impacts in AI/AN communities. However, we must acknowledge that its contents may be emotionally challenging for some readers. The information presented in this toolkit delves into forced assimilation, cultural erasure, and the enduring trauma experienced by AI/AN people. Readers should be aware that encountering this material can evoke strong emotional reactions, including sadness, anger, and grief. It is crucial to exercise caution while engaging with this toolkit and to prioritize self-care. If you are an AI/AN person, this content may resurface intergenerational trauma. Please seek support from your community, mental health professionals, or cultural healers as needed.

American Indian and Alaska Native Violence Prevention Efforts: A Systematic Review, 1980 to 2018: 

A review to systematically identify violence prevention programs, policies, and practices implemented in AIAN communities. Violence is a serious public health concern disproportionately experienced by American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) people. While the burden and impact of violence may be explained by the presence of risk factors among this group, AIAN communities benefit from unique protective factors and universal strategies which may be tailored with tribal adaptations. We sought to identify and explore violence prevention strategies specific to AIAN populations.   

The Imagen Story: A Framework for Restoring Indigenous Girl Societies

A Framework for Restoring Indigenous Girl Societies (PDF) . Native girls carry immense responsibilities and face unique challenges, even within their own communities. Over hundreds of years cultural dislocation, through violent colonial policies and patriarchal norms, eroded many of the indigenous matriarchal social, political and economic structures that empowered Native women and girls. The Indigenous Adolescent Girls’ Empowerment Network (IMAGEN) builds upon long-standing Native cultural traditions, providing platforms for intergenerational transmission of matrilineal knowledge. Girl Societies recognize the unique responsibilities held by and challenges facing Native girls, thus offering culturally grounded, Indigenous-led systems of support.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Works to Prevent Violence Against American Indian and Alaska Native People

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (PDF)  is committed to improving the health and safety of American Indian and Alaska Native people. Understanding why violence happens helps to prevent it. CDC works to understand violence experienced by American Indian and Alaska Native people and to address the issue of Missing or Murdered Indigenous People by collecting data that can guide prevention efforts and supporting violence prevention programs.

Indian Country’s MMIP Crisis: Economic and Social Mobility as Public Health Pillars of Prevention, Intervention, Healing, and Response

May is Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) Awareness Month, an annual time to raise awareness about the alarming number of Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirit individuals, and people who have experienced violence and trauma in the United States. This is an important issue where everyone has a role to play in awareness and prevention, including child support professionals. Economic mobility for Native people is a priority for the communities that ACF serves. Native families deserve to enjoy the benefits of employment, education, and skill-building opportunities that increase their earnings for future well-being, prosperity, and success.