News Release
Office of Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs
Yesterday Governor Katie Hobbs, alongside Attorney General Kris Mayes, Senator Theresa Hatathlie, Gila River Indian Community Lieutenant Governor Monica Antone and other tribal leaders, signed an executive order establishing the Task Force on Missing and Murdered Indigenous People.
The task force will collaborate with state, federal and tribal agencies to address the recommendations from the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples Study Committee, which aimed to reduce and end violence against Indigenous People in Arizona. The task force will also consult and work with the Attorney General’s Office, tribal governments, and law enforcement to continue collecting data on violence against Indigenous People, including data on missing and murdered Indigenous People.
“For too long, our state has ignored tribal leaders’ pleas for help addressing the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People,” said Governor Hobbs. “Today we are taking the first of many steps to stop the abuse, exploitation, and violence against Indigenous Peoples. I want to thank the Indigenous People’s Caucus at the state legislature, along with tribal leaders statewide, who have been instrumental in raising awareness of this epidemic and for laying the groundwork for this task force.”
The Task Force will prepare and submit to Governor Hobbs recommendations for action on or before December 1 each year from 2023-2026.
The executive order can be read here.
