An event meant to connect people who have missing loved ones with police and other resources is scheduled for Saturday at Shiprock High School.
Officials are required by a 2022 state law to host Missing in New Mexico Day every year. The idea came from a now-defunct task force on missing and murdered Indigenous people, although the event is open to anyone who has a loved one who went missing from the state.
“While I recognize this event is not solely for Indigenous people, but rather for all of New Mexico’s missing persons, I would be remiss to note that Native people continue to be murdered or go missing at numbers far too great,” said Josett Monette, who is now secretary of the Indian Affairs Department, at last year’s gathering.
There are 197 Native Americans missing from New Mexico and the Navajo Nation, according to an FBI list last updated earlier this month…