The state sponsor of Washington’s new missing Indigenous person alert system will explain the legislation to Bellingham residents Wednesday.
Rep. Debra Lekanoff, a Democrat from Washington’s 40th Legislative District, drafted and sponsored the bill to address the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous people in the state. It was signed into law on March 31, making Washington the first state in the nation with a statewide alert system.
“Too many Indigenous mothers, sisters, wives and daughters have been torn from their families and their children raised without mothers,” Lekanoff said in a statement. “This crisis impacts every one of our families and communities, and it takes collaboration among all governing bodies, law enforcement and media to bring awareness and stop these horrific crimes.”
Lekanoff will be available to answer questions during the Seeking Justice for Missing and Murdered Indigenous People event, hosted by the Bellingham City Club.
Annie Forsman-Adams, an enrolled member of the Suquamish Tribe, will lead the discussion alongside Lekanoff. Forsman-Adams serves as the policy analyst for the state Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People task force through the Attorney General’s office.
American Indian and Alaska Native men and women experience significantly higher rates of violence in the U.S. than non-native communities, according to the National Institute of Justice, part of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). More than four in five Native men and women have experienced violence in their lifetime. They also see much higher rates of assault and murder than non-Native individuals, according to a report funded by the DOJ.
In 2019, Indigenous women from Whatcom County, including from the Lummi Nation and the Nooksack Indian Tribe, represented about 10% of the missing indigenous women in Washington state, according to a study from the Washington State Patrol. Currently, 135 Indigenous people are missing across the state, according to WSP’s list of active cases, last updated July 18. At least seven of them are from Whatcom County.
Registration for the program, which will be from noon to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, is online.
Bellingham City Club hosts community engagement sessions on the fourth Wednesday of every month, and have discussed a wide range of societal issues, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, private health care in the United States and cryptocurrency.
