For 24 years, Carolyn DeFord had been hopeful for change and answers regarding a certain matter.
On Feb. 18, 2019, DeFord embarked on the familiar journey from her central Washington home to Oregon. She had made the trip several times before, tirelessly searching for her mother Leona Kinsey who had gone missing from her La Grande, Oregon residence in 1998. However, this time, the purpose of the drive was different. DeFord was heading to the Oregon Capitol to provide testimony.
Oregon is considering a groundbreaking bill that would classify the issue of missing Native American women as a statewide emergency. The proposed legislation would initiate an investigation into the crisis and generate a report aimed at unraveling the root causes of the problem. For DeFord, a member of the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, this bill has the potential to have a significant impact.
DeFord expressed, “I was simply hoping to get a few minutes to share my thoughts.”
In a heart-wrenching account, she shared her mother’s disappearance story, describing how one day, her mother, Leona, vanished without a trace. The coffee pot was on, and the dogs were in the yard, but Leona was nowhere to be found. Even after almost 25 years, Leona’s whereabouts remain unknown, and the police have yet to make any arrests in connection with her case.
Despite its passing in 2019, the bill sponsored by Representative Tawna Sanchez has not had the desired impact as hoped by DeFord.
It has been five years since DeFord embarked on that lengthy journey to Salem, and since then, both state and federal reports have delved into the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous people. A number of proposed enhancements have also been put forth, along with a few public events and photo opportunities. Despite these efforts, however, there has been minimal advancement on the primary suggestions to enhance data management and information sharing among law enforcement and the public, as well as to foster greater trust between tribal communities and law enforcement.
In January 2020, Tawna Sanchez, a representative of the state of Oregon, participated in an MMIP listening session held at the University of Oregon.
There has been little discussion amongst key leaders regarding the lack of progress. Oregon Governor, Tina Kotek, who served as the speaker of the House during DeFord’s testimony, stated that she has not engaged in any conversations about the issue since her time in the Legislature nor has she reviewed the recommendations of a task force that were published four years ago in a report that bears her signature.
Kotek admitted to not having read the recommendations and being out of touch with the topic at hand. She stated that her last conversation about the matter was during the Legislature in 2019, where she supported Representative Sanchez’s work. However, she acknowledged that the issue had since been overshadowed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Legislature had requested a report on the seriousness of the matter.
Although the ongoing disappearances of Native American women have been defined as a “statewide emergency,” the pandemic has interrupted a “listening and understanding” tour to assess the extent of the crisis. Currently, there is no centralized system for sharing data or coordinating investigative efforts, and no single agency or official is responsible for implementing the recommendations of the report. Tribal advocates have criticized the state for not including enough Native American voices in their efforts and have highlighted that the long-standing failures of trust between Indigenous people, government systems, and law enforcement have had a cascading effect.
According to Desiree Coyote, a family violence prevention manager for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and an advocate for anti-trafficking and missing and murdered Indigenous persons, the current process is not effective in serving Indigenous communities. After dedicating 25 years to advocating for Indigenous women, Coyote expressed that the lack of awareness regarding this issue does not come as a surprise to her.
Coyote expressed that the United States tends to overlook their presence while systems continue to exclude them from discussions. This constant invisibility can be attributed to a lack of attention or awareness, which may explain why Kotek and others are not up to date on tribal nations in Oregon. Despite this, Coyote does not express anger or surprise, acknowledging that this is simply the way things are.
According to D-North Portland representative Sanchez, there has been a lack of tangible progress which is disappointing. As the second Indigenous person to serve in the Oregon Legislature, she is contemplating introducing legislation to promote the advancement of data collection and coordination.
Sanchez emphasized the need to address the deeply ingrained systemic racism and oppression in the United States, stating that while legal issues surrounding the work of MMIP must be addressed in the short term, ultimately the larger issue must be confronted. He compared the process to chipping away at an iceberg with a small pickax, acknowledging that it will take time to make a significant impact.
Identifying the crisis
This Article Includes
Over the last ten years, more attention has been brought to the forefront of a crisis that has long been ignored – the alarming rates of disappearances and murders of Indigenous individuals, particularly women.
There are thousands of unsolved cases of missing and murdered Indigenous people across the nation. Shockingly, homicide is one of the top 10 causes of death for Indigenous females aged 1 to 45. Furthermore, a staggering 4 in 5 Native American and Alaska Native people have reported experiencing violence at some point in their lives. Even more concerning, over 30% of Indigenous people have reported experiencing violence in the past year alone, according to a 2022 study conducted by the National Institute of Justice.
The state of Oregon mandated a study by the Oregon State Police to determine ways to enhance protective, responsive, and investigative measures for reporting, identifying, investigating, and promptly responding to cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women in the state, both past and future ones.
In September 2020, the report was published after the Oregon Legislature passed the bill unanimously, which is a rare occurrence due to the often-divided nature of the legislature.
In order to address cold cases and identify patterns and links between cases, the report recommends establishing a partnership between Oregon law enforcement agencies and the federal task force Operation Lady Justice. Additionally, officers should receive education on Native American history, cultural awareness, and jurisdictional complexities to improve their understanding of Indigenous communities. The report also emphasizes the need to strengthen partnerships between law enforcement and Indigenous communities, as well as improve data collection and information sharing among agencies. These recommendations aim to enhance collaboration and communication between law enforcement and Indigenous communities, leading to improved outcomes in solving cold cases.
In response to the report, Oregon State Police has implemented several recommendations. Captain Cord Wood, who was part of the work group that produced the report, has been appointed as the agency’s response coordinator.
According to Wood, Oregon has made significant progress in addressing MMIP and has implemented several effective strategies. He also mentioned that the state’s data collection methods have improved over time. Wood acknowledged that OSP is now receiving more reports of missing Indigenous individuals due to enhanced collaboration with tribal law enforcement agencies.
Glendon Smith, a citizen of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, became OSP’s first tribal liaison in 2023. One of his primary responsibilities is to work with tribes, including on MMIP. InvestigateWest attempted to reach out to Smith for an interview, but unfortunately, he did not respond.
Starting in 2021, the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (which oversees law enforcement officers in Oregon at the county, local, state, and tribal levels) has started providing training to new officers on their jurisdictional responsibilities and how to work effectively with tribal populations. As part of this initiative, OSP conducted a one-day, one-time training program on Indian Country policing and jurisdictional considerations for all sworn staff in 2021.
During the visits, Smith is meeting with representatives of all nine federally recognized tribal governments located within Oregon’s geographic boundaries. However, the purpose of these visits is not specifically focused on MMIP or meeting with members of the tribal communities.
According to Wood, hiring Smith was the agency’s main initiative to enhance communication with tribal communities and governments.
In September 2023, Gov. Tina Kotek of Oregon paid a visit to the Pendleton Roundup.
When InvestigateWest reached out to Kotek’s office on June 13 regarding her previous comments made in December, her office emphasized the recent declaration of May 5 as Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day and the efforts of Shana McConnville Radford, Kotek’s tribal affairs director who is a citizen of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Radford is actively involved in a federal MMIP work group and has been tasked with gaining a comprehensive understanding of the state of Oregon’s current position across the board regarding Murdered or Missing Indigenous People (MMIP), identifying any existing gaps, and determining the appropriate level of involvement.
In the year following the release of the Oregon report, the U.S. Attorney’s Office conducted a more comprehensive study on MMIP in Oregon. This report included individuals who identified as male and revealed comparable issues to the original study. The crisis cannot be accurately quantified due to the inadequate data available, and there is a need for better coordination and communication among enforcement agencies. Furthermore, there is a pressing need for agencies to establish stronger relationships with Indigenous communities and groups. Unfortunately, the regional coordinator responsible for addressing the crisis was unavailable for an interview before publication.
Advocates working on the ground claim that progress is slow despite the reports, as the working groups only discuss the issues every few months, making the process seem as slow as a glacier.
Listening tour cut short
According to Coyote and other experts, the preparation of the state report on the MMIP crisis was flawed from the start due to poor communication with tribal communities and a lack of inclusion of Indigenous voices and perspectives. These issues have only exacerbated the crisis at hand.
Governor Kate Brown signed HB 2625 into law on May 19, 2019. The signing ceremony was attended by Indigenous community leaders and advocates who were dressed in red, a color symbolizing missing and murdered Indigenous women’s awareness.
The OSP formed a work group consisting mainly of federal, tribal, and Oregon law enforcement officers to carry out the study required by the bill. The group also included state and federal lawyers, a federal judge, a medical examiner, and Sanchez.
As part of the initiative, an essential aspect was a “listening and understanding tour” with members of the Native American community to truly comprehend the extent and gravity of the crisis.
During the effort, the group made two stops before reaching a meeting in Pendleton. At the meeting, an attendee pointed out the lack of community-based advocates in the work group. As a result, Coyote was appointed as the only Indigenous community member of the group.
According to Coyote, the tour provided the most valuable information for the report. However, some of the stops were not advertised equally, which resulted in poor turnout at certain sessions.
According to Coyote, the composition of the listening tour, which had a strong emphasis on law enforcement, created additional challenges. This was especially true for many Native American communities, who have a history of mistrust towards law enforcement.
In late 2019 and early 2020, the group organized five listening sessions. These sessions were held at various locations, including the Confederated Tribes of Umatilla Indian Reservation, the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Reservation, the Burns Paiute Reservation, and the longhouses that housed Native American student groups at the University of Oregon and Oregon State University. Unfortunately, the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic put a halt to their progress.
The report failed to include visits to the remaining six federally recognized tribes located within Oregon’s geographic boundaries or any urban Indigenous communities outside of tribal lands.
According to Wood, there are currently no plans to engage with tribal communities through OSP-coordinated efforts similar to the recent tour.
The 2019 bill, which was sponsored by Sanchez, didn’t quite deliver the desired outcome, as she herself acknowledged upon reading the report.
Sanchez expressed his disappointment, stating, “My hopes were broader than what was achieved. I had hoped for a more cohesive effort with other states in building a data system.”
Trust?
When a loved one goes missing, it can be a truly distressing experience. This is a time when many critical questions come to the forefront of your mind. You may be left wondering who you can turn to for help and support during this difficult time.
Indigenous communities face a unique challenge when it comes to reporting missing persons. The process of filing a police report can be complicated and unclear, especially for cases involving Indigenous individuals. This difficulty is amplified by a longstanding mistrust of law enforcement and negative perceptions surrounding criminal investigations when Indigenous peoples are involved, whether as victims or offenders. The OSP report confirmed this issue.
Investigations on tribal lands can be complicated due to the complex jurisdictional patchwork involving local, state, tribal, or federal law enforcement. This often results in confusion among family members who are unsure which agency to report their missing loved one to, or who is responsible for the investigation. Sadly, Indigenous peoples face a disproportionate amount of violence from law enforcement, and past mistreatment by state and federal government agencies has left many hesitant to trust, especially when they are in the vulnerable position of searching for a missing family member.
According to the OSP report, Indigenous community members did not have faith in the police to take them seriously and act upon their concerns. The report also highlighted the confusion that often arose during the reporting process.
The widespread mistrust among communities has created a significant challenge for law enforcement agencies in working with witnesses. Many witnesses fear the negative associations within their own communities that come with cooperating with the police. This reluctance to speak out is further compounded by the daunting prospect of potential repercussions – several family members of missing Indigenous people in Oregon declined to speak with InvestigateWest out of fear that their loved ones’ cases would be negatively impacted if they made unfavorable characterizations of law enforcement efforts.
Indigenous communities often rely on their own members to aid in the search for a missing loved one.
According to Coyote, she has been pushing for community-based tribal advocates to be involved in addressing MMIP cases at both the state and federal level work groups she is a part of. However, her suggestions were disregarded, and these advocates were not directly involved in the investigation and resolution of such cases.
Coyote questions the capability of law enforcement to serve justice, given their history of misconduct towards marginalized communities. “How can we expect them to do right by us now with the current federal and state laws?” they express, highlighting the long-standing issue of systemic injustice in the United States.
As a member of the MMIP work group, Coyote collaborates with the U.S. Attorneys Office’s missing and murdered Indigenous persons coordinator, Cedar Wilkie Gillette, and the assigned assistant U.S. attorney, Tim Simmons.
In late 2023, during a work-group session, she felt ignored when she asked how many members of the group had made an effort to speak with the community about MMIP.
Coyote emphasized the lack of involvement from law enforcement officers in discussing MMI and their efforts to address it within the community. Instead of being present and engaging in dialogue, they tend to focus on making arrests and neglect the importance of communication with tribal leaders.
According to Simmons, it would be a good idea to establish a subcommittee that can address concerns related to the community. Coyote expressed frustration and cited slow progress in the current discussion process.
Coyote expressed disappointment regarding the progress made in addressing community issues. Despite six months of work, the focus has only been on law enforcement talking to law enforcement, and there has been no significant discussion on whether law enforcement needs to be present in the community.
According to OSP coordinator, Wood, building robust relationships with Native American communities is a top priority for law enforcement groups.
Wood stated that building trust is a continuous process that requires ongoing effort. Trust is established through relationships, and it is necessary to maintain these relationships by nurturing them. Thus, she believes that the work of building trust never really ends.
Data woes
According to the 2020 OSP report, determining the actual extent of the crisis has been hindered by insufficient and inconsistent data collection and sharing methods. The report highlights that the methods used to collect information and crime data related to missing Indigenous persons cases among local, state, tribal, and federal agencies were either inconsistent or non-existent.
Law enforcement, community advocates, and legislators all agree that there is no centralized database to keep track of missing Indigenous peoples, which poses a significant problem. Therefore, it is impossible to accurately determine the number of Indigenous people who are missing in Oregon.
The reports from both the state and federal authorities aimed to measure the issue in Oregon while acknowledging the shortcomings in the information available.
According to the OSP report, which utilized state and federal data from Jan. 23, 2020, there were a total of 13 missing persons cases at that time. It’s worth noting that the report did not request data from individual tribes.
In February 2021, a federal report was published that accounted for all missing Indigenous persons, and it revealed the existence of 11 currently active missing cases. Moreover, the report identified eight active murder cases of Indigenous victims.
In 2019, the University of Oregon showcased an art installation named “No More Stolen Sisters.” This installation was a rendition of the Red Dress Project, which serves as a tribute to the Indigenous women who were murdered or went missing.
Law enforcement completing missing persons reports in Oregon and across the nation continue to face the critical issue of racial misclassification of Indigenous peoples. This misclassification makes it even more challenging to accurately account for the number of missing Indigenous individuals.
Determining any trends or links in disappearances, which is one of the key recommendations in the OSP report, is impossible without centralized data.
According to Sanchez, the media has shown better coverage of missing Indigenous persons cases in the Portland metro area. However, this improvement has not been observed in other parts of the state.
Sanchez pointed out that while there have been more impactful alerts about missing individuals, they may not be reaching rural or tribal areas. Additionally, there is currently no system in place to provide updates on whether a missing person has been found or if efforts are being made to locate them.
Lawmakers, law enforcement, and advocates all agree that collecting more centralized and uniform data would be an essential step towards addressing the issue at hand. Washington state has already taken this important step, although it should be noted that it is not a cure-all solution.
While comparing the two states, it’s essential to note that there are differences in jurisdictional responsibilities. However, it’s worth mentioning that Washington has a more comprehensive centralized data system than Alaska. In case an endangered Indigenous person goes missing, the state of Washington immediately issues notifications similar to Amber Alerts. Furthermore, it produces weekly statewide reports that list all active missing Indigenous persons cases across all jurisdictions.
According to Tim Addleman, who serves as the Chief of the Umatilla Tribal Police Department, having a similar system in Oregon would be of great assistance in his efforts to tackle missing person cases. This is especially true for cases where individuals travel between various reservations and legal jurisdictions.
Addleman praised Washington’s efforts in gathering and disseminating information in a centralized location, stating that it would be advantageous for Oregon to follow suit. “I think (Washington) has done a very good job of getting all the information and putting it in a central spot and releasing it out,” he remarked.
According to Sanchez, the next crucial step is to implement legislation that mandates an improved data collection system. She is currently working on the specifics of what this would entail. In addition, Sanchez is actively involved in efforts to develop a more comprehensive notification process for tribal communities in the event of a missing person.
The need for improved data gathering on Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) in Oregon is widely acknowledged by legislators and advocates. However, there is a disagreement on how the data should be handled and utilized. Indigenous advocates are of the view that the solution lies in giving priority to community-led efforts over police-led initiatives, which they deem insufficient in addressing MMIP meaningfully.
According to Wood, the advantages of having fair and equal information sharing abilities for tribal law enforcement are significant. He also highlights the recent hiring of a tribal liaison and the implementation of OSP’s Indian Country-specific education program for officers over the past three years as clear indications of Oregon’s progress. Wood further notes that OSP is effectively fulfilling the report’s recommendations and is on track to achieve its goals.
According to Wood, “Oregon is doing a lot of things correctly.”
Leona Kinsey
Law enforcement faces a challenge in cases of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) as disappearing is not considered a crime in itself. Additionally, reporting systems may not consider the vulnerabilities of a specific missing person. As a result, investigative responses and resources may not be extensive if there are no signs of foul play or criminal activity.
Initially, Leona was misclassified as white after her disappearance. This misclassification limited the initial response from law enforcement. However, it’s important to acknowledge that Leona was a victim, not a perpetrator.
Despite DeFord’s testimony in Salem, neither OSP nor federal law enforcement has made any progress in reviewing the case.
Working with a missing persons advocacy group, DeFord discovered that there were multiple cases of communication delays between law enforcement agencies regarding the main suspect in her mother’s disappearance.
According to DeFord, her relentless advocacy played a significant role in the investigation into her mother’s disappearance. She believes that the official searches for her mother’s remains and other major developments in the case would not have happened without her efforts. Despite the additional reviews of her mother’s case file, DeFord hasn’t received any answers yet. Nonetheless, she remains thankful for the progress made so far.
DeFord expressed her feelings about the responses and answers she has received in her case, saying that she had been grateful for even the smallest gestures, feeling like she was being given scraps and crumbs and willing to dance for them. However, she has now reached a point where she is not ungrateful, but also bitter.