Presidential Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives Announces Virtual Consultations

Friday, July 17, 2020

WASHINGTON – The Presidential Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives announced 12 Tribal consultations to occur virtually across the United States in the coming months.

American Indians and Alaska Natives experience disproportionately high rates of violence. President Trump has called the crisis of missing and murdered Native Americans “sobering and heartbreaking.”

The Presidential Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives, also known as Operation Lady Justice, announces the upcoming series of Tribal consultations under Executive Order 13898. The Executive Order requires the Task Force to “conduct appropriate consultations with Tribal governments on the scope and nature of the issues regarding missing and murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives.” While the Task Force had plans in place for a robust schedule of consultations and listening sessions in various locations in Indian country and elsewhere beginning in March, postponement of those sessions was required by the current public health crisis.  Therefore, the Task Force has established a series of Tribal consultations to be held virtually. The sessions are regional, based on Bureau of Indian Affairs regions.  The schedule, link to register, Dear Tribal Leader letter and framing paper are available on the Operation Lady Justice website, which can be found at OperationLadyJustice.usdoj.gov.

Confirmed Dates and Times

August 17th, 1:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Eastern

• BIA Eastern Region – Virtual Consultation via WebEx.

August 19th, 1:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Eastern

• BIA Midwest Region – Virtual Consultation via WebEx.

August 21st, 1:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.  Eastern                 

• BIA Southern Plains and Eastern Oklahoma Regions – Virtual Consultation via WebEx.

August 25th, 1:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Eastern

• BIA Great Plains and Rocky Mountain Regions – Virtual Consultation via WebEx.

August 27th, 1:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Eastern

• BIA Southwest Region – Virtual Consultation via WebEx.

August 31st, 1:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Eastern

• BIA Northwest Region – Virtual Consultation via WebEx.

September 2nd, 1:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Eastern

• BIA Western and Navajo Regions – Virtual Consultation via WebEx.

September 4th, 1:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.  Eastern

• BIA Pacific Region First session – Virtual Consultation via WebEx.

September 8th, 1:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Eastern

• BIA Pacific Region Second Session – Virtual Consultation via WebEx.

September 10th, 1:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.  Eastern                 

• BIA Alaska Region First Session – Virtual Consultation via WebEx.

September 14th, 1:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.  Eastern

• BIA Alaska Region Second Session – Virtual Consultation via WebEx.

September 17th, 1:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Eastern

• Final session for any leader who could not make their scheduled Regional Session via WebEx.

The members of the Task Force are:

• Katharine (Katie) Sullivan, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Office of Justice Programs, designee for the Attorney General;
• Tara Sweeney, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, designee for the Secretary of the Interior;
• Terry Wade, Executive Assistant Director, Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch, Federal Bureau of Investigation;
• Laura Rogers, Acting Director, Office on Violence Against Women;
• Charles (Charlie) Addington, Deputy Bureau Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services;
• Trent Shores, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma and Chair of the Native American Issues Subcommittee of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee; and
• Jean (Jeannie) Hovland, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Native American Affairs and Commissioner, Administration for Native Americans, Department of Health and Human Services.

Marcia Good of the Department of Justice serves as the Executive Director of the Task Force.  The Task Force will present a progress report to the President by Nov. 26, 2020, and a final report detailing its activities and accomplishments by Nov. 26, 2021.

The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of the Department of Justice at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.  2020 also marks 171^st anniversary of the Department of the Interior.  Learn more about the history of DOI at www.doi.gov/history/.