It took years of work by Native women and activists but legislation to address the crisis of missing and murdered sisters and relatives has finally become law.

Just in time for Indigenous Peoples Day, President Donald Trump signed S.227, Savanna’s Act, and S.982, the Not Invisible Act, into law on Saturday. The bipartisan measures mark the first time in which the federal government, as a whole, will be required to account for missing and murdered Native people, especially women and girls.

“Everyone in this country deserves to feel safe in their communities, but a long history of violence against Native people has led to the disappearance and murder of Native Americans at alarming rates,” said Rep. Deb Haaland (D-New Mexico), a citizen of the Pueblo of Laguna and one of the first two Native women to serve in Congress.

“Today, we celebrate two huge steps to combat the missing and murdered indigenous women’s crisis, an effort led by survivors, activists, and Native women across the country,” Haaland said after Trump signed S.227 and S.982, 10 days following their presentation to the president.

After decades of Native women’s work to raise awareness & demand action, we can celebrate two huge steps to address the #MMIW crisis. #NotInvisible & #SavannasAct are now law. https://t.co/I3IXhSneDv

— Rep. Deb Haaland (@RepDebHaaland) October 10, 2020

S.227 is named in memory of Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind, a 22-year-old woman from the Spirit Lake Nation who went missing and was murdered in 2017. She was eight months pregnant at the time — her child miraculously survived the brutal crime, for which two non-Indians in North Dakota were held responsible.

Now that Savanna’s Act has become law, the Department of Justice will be required — for the first time — to report the numbers of Native people who go missing every year. In hopes of spurring accountability, the government must state which cases have been closed, or resolved in some fashion.

“This is very personal to every Indigenous woman,” said Marci McLean, the executive director of Western Native Voice, an advocacy group based in Montana. “Most Indigenous women have a story of a friend or relative who has gone missing or has been murdered.”

“With the passage of Savanna’s Act, they are going to be seen and heard and their stories will be told,” said McLean, who is a citizen of the Blackfeet Nation, where the disappearance of Ashley Loring Heavy Runner remains unsolved after more than three years.

S.982, the Not Invisible Act, also expands on efforts to address the crisis of missing and murdered Native people. It requires the Department of Justice and the Department of the Interior to work closely with commission that will include experts, survivors and family members of people affected by trafficking, homicide and other violent crimes in tribal and urban Indian communities.

Furthermore, S.982 represents an unique achievement. It’s the first bill to have been introduced, passed and signed into law by the four tribal citizens who serve in Congress.

“Today is a historic day for all tribes across the country,” President Jonathan Nez of the Navajo Nation said as he recognized the members of Congress — Democrat and Republican alike — who helped get Savanna’s Act and the Not Invisible Act over the finish line.

The new laws will “help bring an end to the ongoing losses of life, trauma, and devastation caused by the missing persons crisis across our country,” Nez said. “We have many members of the Navajo Nation who are very compassionate and dedicated to helping families who have missing loved ones. We look forward to seeing the benefits that these two bills will have.”

Enactment of S.227 and S.982 marks the first time in nearly a year in which stand-alone Indian Country legislation has become law. Congress took final action on September 21, when the Democratic-controlled U.S. House of Representatives approved both measures. They cleared the U.S. Senate, which is in Republican hands, on March 11.

“We appreciate the president signing Savanna’s Act into law,” said Sen. John Hoeven (R-North Dakota), the chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. “This legislation addresses a tragic issue in Indian Country and will help to establish better law enforcement practices.”

Despite the latest developments, it’s been slow-moving for Indian Country’s agenda on Capitol Hill. Historically, upwards of 20 tribal bills become law during any particular session of Congress, regardless of which party controls the House and the Senate, independent of the occupant of the White House.

The Donald Trump era has been different. In the 115th Congress, during which Republicans controlled both chambers, only about 12 stand-alone tribal bills became law.

ICYMI: It took a while, but five Indian Country bills are finally over the finish line in the #116th Congress. The five bills address self-governance, treaties, economic development and the #MMIW crisis. #NotInvisiblehttps://t.co/MLkV2T0X34

— indianz.com (@indianz) September 23, 2020

Tribes haven’t seen much of an improvement in the 116th Congress. Since January 2019, when Democrats took over the House while Republicans retained the Senate, only five stand-alone Indian Country bills — including S.227 and S.982 — have become law.

But the tally is expected to increase in the coming days. Three additional measures — all of which have enjoyed bipartisan support — were sent to the White House on Friday for Trump’s signature:

Prior to S.227 and S.982, the following three bills were signed into law, back in December 2019:

Separately, Trump in December 2019 signed a national defense bill that included provisions to extend federal recognition to the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians, headquartered in Montana. The package also restored homelands to the Lytton Band of Pomo Indians and the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, both in California.

Assuming Trump signs S.209, S.294 and S.823, tribes will have seen eleven substantive Indian Country measures become law during the 116th Congress. The session concludes in December, but with the election fast approaching, there are fewer and fewer opportunities for the list to grow.

Apart from the work of the legislative branch, Trump on the executive side established Operation Lady Justice to examine ways to address the crisis of missing and murdered Native people. The Presidential Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives, which consists of federal officials, is to deliver its first report to the White House next month.

The task force was unable to hold in-person meetings this year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. A series of virtual listening sessions and consultations, many of which were marred by technical difficulties and logistical challenges, took place between May and September.

Written comments are still being accepted, though, though October 21. They can be sent via email to OperationLadyJustice@usdoj.gov, by fax to 202-514-7805, or by mail to:

During the first listening session of the Operation Lady Justice task force in February, tribal leaders called on the Trump administration to change the structure of the body to ensure their input was considered in a manner consistent with the government-to-government relationship. Although officials said they were looking at ways of including more voices through advisory or working groups, the suggestion was never fully implemented.