The Federal Communications Commission unanimously approved the MEP alert, which could be a critical tool for Indian Country, as research from the FBI shows more than 3,000 Native American and Alaskan Native adults went missing last year.
Earlier this year, many tribal nations in Oklahoma and around the country supported a new Federal Communications Commission alert that could help in the Missing Murder Indigenous Peoples crisis, or MMIP.
The MEP alert aims to help find missing adults in the U.S. by notifying the public via cell phones, radios, and televisions.
They are similar to the state’s recently implemented Kacey alerts, which went into effect last November.
Currently, the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System reports 85 missing people in Oklahoma who identify as Native American and/or Alaskan Native.
For Indigenous people experiencing violence, advocates at the StrongHearts Native Helpline, 1-844-762-8483, are always available to provide culturally sound support. For both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people facing domestic violence, the National Domestic Violence Hotline, 1-800-799-7233, is another resource. More MMIP resources are listed here.
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