Amber Kanazbah Crotty, a Navajo Nation Council Delegate, recalls how just a few years ago, law enforcement agencies didn't want to talk about the issue of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People.
"Up to about 2018, we still had law enforcement telling us this was not an issue, that it's not a prevalent issue," she said.
In 2018, she testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs during a hearing called “Missing and Murdered: Confronting the Silent Crisis in Indian country.”
“I remember being there and watching our FBI partners walk out of the room before we gave our testimony,” Crotty said. “That sticks with me as an advocate, as a mom, as a council delegate, in terms of how we need to protect one another.”