Mary David, Kawerak Executive Vice President, expressed Kawerak’s stance on HB 234 on Tuesday February 27th during the public testimony.

“House Bill 234 addresses critically high statistics of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons in the State of Alaska by equipping the Department of Public Safety and law enforcement with additional resources needed to examine and investigate MMIP cases. HB234 codifies the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Review Commission into state law, establishes two full-time MMIP Investigator positions under the Department of Public Safety, mandates cultural training within the Police Standards Council and requires the Department of Public Safety to submit an annual MMIP needs assessment report to the Legislature.”

In Mary David’s testimony she expressed,

“Kawerak, and the AK Regional Coalition fully supports the police standards council training, the full-time investigator positions within DPS, and establishing the Missing & Murdered Indigenous Persons Review Commission.  Evaluation is always important, so we also support that DPS submits an annual needs-assessment report to the Legislature.   

HB 234 contains important steps to address MMIP in Alaska.  Here in Nome, we have a local City Police Station and Alaska State Troopers.  Kawerak has 7 of the 9 VPSO positions filled, for the 15 communities outside of Nome.  Communication is important and building relationships and understanding is important.  Working together improves communication, builds trust and creates a better public safety environment.  

From the HB234 presentation, there were 18 pages of Missing people in Alaska and recent tragedies up North.  Having an MMIP Investigations Unit permanently under DPS is important for consistency as well as ensuring that progress on solving MMIP cases occurs.  

We all probably heard of, or know of women who have been murdered or are missing from our communities.  The trauma or the unresolved grief that each family feels under these situations is heartbreaking.  We continue to experience high rates of domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking and some of the highest numbers of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls across the country.  We need to take steps to address this crisis.  HB 234 is an important step in doing so.”

We hope you join us in support of this piece of legislation.