A report that highlighted the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous people was removed from several federal websites last month.
The final report by the Not Invisible Act Commission was a joint effort of the U.S. Justice and the Interior departments completed in November 2023. It focused on the disproportionate rates of assault and murder in Indigenous communities across the country– as well as unique issues faced by Alaska Native people. President Trump signed the law that mandated the report during his first term.
In February, the report’s authors and advocates noticed that the link had been deleted from several federal websites, including the Department of Justice website. The reason for the removal wasn't immediately clear.
Michelle Demmert is a longtime tribal judge and the University of Alaska Fairbanks professor who was one of the report’s commissioners. Demmert, who is Tlingit and Haida, says she was deeply disappointed with its removal.
“It's like a slap in the face," she said. "It just really saddens me to have the report removed like it doesn't even exist.”
Over 18 months, the commission heard from people across the country, including Fairbanks, Anchorage, Bethel and Emmonak. Those stories were included in the final report.
“People traveled far and wide to come give testimony about situations that involve their loved ones," Demmert said. "They trusted us with their stories, even though it was painful for them to have to retell these stories, but they felt like this might be the one opportunity that someone hears them and takes action.
Charlene Aqpik Apok is the executive director of the non-profit, Data for Indigenous Justice. Apok, who is Inupiaq, attended the commission hearing that was held in Anchorage.
She says she found it unsettling that the report was deleted from several websites, but she doesn’t want people to be discouraged.
“We still know what was said. We still know our truth. We still know our stories, and they can't take that away from us. Our knowledge and our truth is something that cannot be erased.”Charlene Aqpik Apok
Apok also says she appreciated the report’s specific recommendations for Alaska. She says they spoke to historic violence against Alaska Native women, the landscape and structure of rural communities, and challenges with legal and public safety systems.
Apok adds that despite the report’s removal, organizations like Data for Indigenous Justice will continue to document and track cases of violence against Indigenous people in Alaska.