On Assessing the Scope of Missing Native Americans in Nebraska: Results From a State-Wide Study and Recommendations for Future Research

Abstract

Recent legislation in multiple states has called for studies on the scope of missing Native American persons. Here we report on one such study from Nebraska by first describing the practical and methodological issues for researchers to consider when examining data on missing Native persons. Then, using data from four point-in-time-counts in 2020, rates of Native American missing persons as well as case contexts over the study period are reported. Findings show that Native Americans are disproportionately represented among Nebraska's missing persons, that reports often involve minor boys, and that cases are dynamic and most are resolved quickly. Relatedly, most Native missing persons cases are only listed on the state clearinghouse, not the national missing persons lists. The paper is concluded with a discussion of specific directions for future research and policy regarding missing Native Americans.

Native Missing Persons Cases Will Not be Solved by Police Alone: The Case for “Missing Persons Advocates”

“…Prior studies also suggest that 50% (Fillmore et al, 2021) or more (Richards et al, 2021a) of Native missing persons are juveniles. Furthermore, studies across different states vary regarding whether the majority of Native missing persons are male (Arizona: Fox et al, 2020;New Mexico Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives Task Force, 2020;Nebraska: Richards et al, 2021a) or female (Washington: Alexander, 2019;Idaho: Fillmore et al, 2021).…”

“…Recent legislation across several states has mandated research on the scope and context of missing Native American persons in the United States (e.g., Arizona, Idaho, Nebraska, Washington State, National Indigenous Women's Resource Center, 2020), and findings suggest that Native persons are missing at disproportionate rates. For example, Richards et al (2021a) conducted four point-in-time counts of missing persons in Nebraska who were reported to the state (Nebraska Missing Persons List) and/or national missing persons databases (National Missing and Unidentified Persons System [NamUs] or National Center for Missing and Exploited Children [NCMEC]) in 2020 and found that Native American Nebraskans were missing at about 3 to 4.5 times their representation in the state's population. Using similar methods, Fillmore et al (2021) identified that Native persons were also disproportionately missing from Idaho-by as much as 2.1 times their proportion of the state's population.…”

“…Regarding the context of Native missing persons, community listening sessions in tribal communities have noted that Native community members perceive missingness as linked to systemic issues such as poverty, isolation, untreated mental health issues or substance abuse, domestic violence, and lack of opportunity for youth in isolated rural communities (see Richards et al, 2021a). Indeed, hundreds of years of colonization, or "the elimination and destruction of another society, including their values, beliefs, norms, cultures, and traditions by outsiders" (Weaver, 2009(Weaver, , p. 1552, has produced deeply entrenched disparities in Native communities that likely contribute to an environment that increases the likelihood of going missing.…”

“…Taken together, Native Americans are likely disproportionately represented among reported missing persons due to high rates of exposure to social and structural disparities and/ or environments that make going missing more likely. Furthermore, Native Americans are also disproportionately impacted by the barriers and challenges in reporting and investigating missing person cases (Richards et al, 2021a(Richards et al, , 2021b.…”

“…In response to calls for justice from tribes and grassroots activists, the federal government responded to this long-standing issue by creating Operation Lady Justice 2 in 2019 (U.S. Department of Justice, n.d.), and many states followed suit through legislative efforts that created task forces and/or engaged in efforts to identify the scope of MMIP (National Indigenous Women's Resource Center, 2020). Research has found that Native persons are at a disproportionate risk of going missing and that there are unique challenges in reporting and investigating Native missing person cases (Fillmore et al, 2021;Richards et al, 2021a); however, work identifying potential risk factors for missingness, as well as prevention and intervention efforts are still needed. In discussing missing or murdered persons, it is important to define missingness, thus for the purposes of this work, when we discuss missing persons, we are referring to people who are not where they are expected to be and whose well-being cannot be confirmed (see similar definition from International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children, 2023, pp.…”