Native America Calling: Alaska MMIW case exemplifies lingering distrust in law enforcement motivations

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Native America Calling: Alaska MMIW case exemplifies lingering distrust in law enforcement motivations

Tuesday, May 5, 2026

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Alaska MMIW case exemplifies lingering distrust in law enforcement motivations

MMIP advocates fault police in Anchorage, Alaska, for not acting fast enough when a young Native woman went missing in January.

Kelly Hunt’s body was discovered in April. Her death is now under investigation.

Kelly Hunt. Courtesy photo

Hunt’s disappearance and death marks the latest case revealing the persistent lack of trust Native communities have when it comes to MMIP cases. It also comes as the Trump administration is touting a surge in federal agents in selected locations to address the backlog in unsolved serious crimes, but tribal leaders and advocates say there’s no real progress on the lingering disconnect between Native people and law enforcement officials on all levels.

And despite some recent progress, there are serious hurdles when it comes to jurisdictional confusion and information sharing across agencies.

The news of Kelly Hunt, an Alaska Native woman whose body was recently found in Anchorage, is absolutely heartbreaking. It’s unacceptable that cases like Kelly’s continue. Progress has been made in addressing the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, but there is much…
— Sen. Lisa Murkowski (@lisamurkowski) April 28, 2026

Guests on Native America Calling

Regina Antone (Gila River Indian Community), lieutenant governor of the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona

Stephen Roe Lewis, governor of the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona

Alexis Savage (Iñupiaq), MMIP advocate in Alaska

LaRenda Morgan (Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma), Cheyenne and Arapaho MMIP chapter chairwoman and the governmental affairs officer for the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma