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In a Tuesday House Budget Committee hearing on the Biden administration’s budget request for fiscal 2022, ranking member Dave Joyce (R-Ohio) said he was “encouraged” by Haaland’s announcement of a unit dedicated to missing and murdered indigenous people within the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Haaland praised Operation Lady Justice, the DOJ task force, and said it was initially budgeted at $1 million. The Missing and Murdered Unit, she testified, would have an increased budget of $6 million.
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Joyce also asked Haaland, the first Indigenous Cabinet secretary, for further details on what work the new unit would perform.
“There’s been a lot of engagement across the government we felt that it was important for this unit to provide the leadership that it needs so everyone is moving in the same direction,” Haaland replied. “The new unit will improve coordination within and outside of the [Bureau of Indian Affairs] to make sure that we’re not missing anythi
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Jen Buckley, owner of Tveraa Photography, wants to get everyone talking about the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) crisis in the state.
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As a member of the Chippewa-Cree tribe, this issue hits close to home for her, which is why sheâs trying to get more of her photos in more businesses and on more billboards across the state.Â
 These are my people and these are my family that need to be found,â Buckley said.
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 I always knew and was passionate about this issue, but when Jermain Charlo went missing, I went on a search with her aunt and the Lifeguard group and I just, something has to be done, you know?” she said.
Nicole Wagon knew something was wrong days before she would get the news. I didn t feel good. I didn t feel good for those couple days. And what can I explain to you is leading up to that day I received the call. It just felt like a sense, a feeling. And I couldn t shake it, she said.
She knew Jocelyn was planning a road trip and thought about going over to visit her but decided against it. Their visits sometimes went on a long time with all the talking and laughing. And then the next day Nicole got a call.