Search. Identify. Rematriate.

Ohkomi Forensics

Search. Identify. Rematriate.

An Indigenous-led, multidisciplinary approach to combating the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Crisis

Missoula, MT, USA

USA

Nonprofit

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The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples (MMIP) Crisis encompasses a movement across Turtle Island (the U.S. and Canada) that sheds light on the injustices and health issues faced by Indigenous communities worldwide. The U.S. Department of Justice reports that violent crime rates for American Indian/Native American and Alaskan Native (AI/AN) individuals are notably higher than national averages. AI/AN individuals confront significant challenges, including high victimization rates, human trafficking, and insufficient AI/AN-specific data and investigative resources. Currently, about 4,200 cases of missing and murdered individuals remain unsolved in the U.S., as noted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). Moreover, the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) indicates approximately 15,309 unidentified persons across the country. Compounding the issue, around 116,000 AI/AN and Native Hawaiian human remains are held by various institutions, awaiting return to their families and homeland. The MMIP crisis is a global concern that continues to escalate, highlighting the critical necessity for increased attention and resources. Indigenous communities have raised significant concerns regarding the collection and storage of genetic data, emphasizing the need for sensitive handling of such information.

Our proposed solution is straightforward: develop a system that integrates forensic methodologies with cultural insights and Indigenous perspectives while promoting data collection in accordance with tribal sovereignty. After consultations with tribal representatives and considering Tribal members' concerns, we have started establishing a “Rematriation DNA Reference Database” with the Amskapi Pikuni (Blackfeet) Tribe. This database is a stand-alone genetic repository, consisting solely of living Tribal members, owned and maintained by the Tribe. Its purpose is to identify and reconnect lost loved ones with their families, facilitating their return home. Our goal is to develop independent DNA datasets for each Tribe, controlled exclusively by them. Genetic information is collected using minimally invasive methods. We focus on specific genetic markers relevant to familial lineage while excluding health-related factors to protect privacy. Access to this information is restricted to designated Tribal members. By partnering with genetic technology companies like Qiagen, we utilize the MiSeq FGx and Qiagen’s Kintelligence HT kits to facilitate this work.

Our organization serves all Indigenous peoples and communities affected by the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) crisis, in addition to the governing agencies and advocates striving to address this issue. It offers a vital resource to tribes confronting jurisdictional barriers, concerns regarding data privacy, and inadequate funding for privately owned entities. Although we are headquartered in the state of Montana, we have engaged with families and agencies globally, aspiring to expand our services on an international scale. Given the challenges faced by Indigenous peoples in forensic cases, these cases are frequently shuffled among jurisdictions and do not receive the attention they warrant. As a nonprofit organization, we possess the capacity to be consulted and contracted at any jurisdictional level, providing our services to affected families at no charge. By integrating forensic methodologies with cultural insights and Indigenous perspectives, we endeavor to initiate efforts that confront this urgent issue, which has profoundly impacted Indigenous communities due to a lack of resources and a scarcity of cultural knowledge within the forensic field. We aim to bridge the gap that disconnects our Indigenous populations from the critical resources they urgently need.