In recognition of Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Awareness Day, Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen reaffirmed his office’s commitment to addressing the disproportionate impact of violence on tribal communities across the state.
“I have had a front row seat to the devastation inflicted on Montana’s tribal communities by the missing and murdered Indigenous persons crisis,” Knudsen said in a statement Friday. “At the Montana Department of Justice, we will not waver in our commitment to working with our federal, state, local, and tribal partners to end it.”
Knudsen, a former prosecutor in Roosevelt County, encouraged the public to engage with the state’s missing persons database to familiarize themselves with ongoing cases. “Together, we can find the missing and bring them home,” he said.
In the 2025 Legislative Session, Knudsen backed two key pieces of legislation aimed at strengthening the state’s response to MMIP cases:
- House Bill 545, sponsored by Rep. Tyson Running Wolf, will rename the Montana Missing Persons Task Force to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Advisory Council, pending the governor’s signature. The bill also adds a homicide investigator to the council and requires it to submit recommendations to federal agencies on how to better address the issue.
- House Bill 83, also sponsored by Running Wolf, establishes a special revenue account to allow the council to accept donations. The funds will support initiatives that raise awareness and aid in preventing and solving MMIP cases.
Under Knudsen’s direction, the Montana Department of Justice has upgraded its public missing persons database, which includes details on all individuals reported missing by local law enforcement. The database is a critical tool for families, investigators, and the public.
In 2024, 688 Indigenous people were reported missing in Montana. While most were eventually located, eight remained missing by year’s end. As of May 5, 2025, the database shows 37 Indigenous persons are currently missing, including 14 who have been missing for less than a year and 23 for over a year.
The MMIP crisis continues to disproportionately affect Native American communities across Montana, where Indigenous people make up roughly 7% of the population but represent a significantly higher percentage of missing persons cases.
By: DNU staff