Ashlynne Mike

AMBER Alert in Indian Country – Issue 2 2021

Brian Thurber | June 10, 2021

Contributed by Pamela Foster, mother of Ashlynne May 2, 2021, will mark five years since the abduction of my children Ashlynne and Ian Mike. Ian was at a tender age of 9 and still very young and spent a majority of his time cementing his relationship with his sister. Ashlynne was 11 and she was […]

Presidential Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaskan Natives Logo

Expanding Broadband on Tribal Lands

Melissa Blasing | June 7, 2021

Department of Commerce’s NTIA Announces Nearly $1 Billion in Funding to Expand Broadband on Tribal Land (Source: https://www.commerce.gov/news/fact-sheets/2021/06/fact-sheet-biden-administration-offers-nearly-1-billion-grants-help)  Operation Lady Justice would like to share the below announcement about a funding opportunity that may be able to assist Tribes with high-speed internet. Broadband access can be critical in assisting Tribes that are considering utilizing the Integrated […]

Image of Ashlynne Mike

Walking in Remembrance of Ashlynne Mike

Melissa Blasing | April 29, 2021

In Our Hearts We thought of you today. But that is nothing new. We thought about you yesterday. And days before that too. We think of you in silence. We often speak your name. Now all we have memories. And your picture in a frame. Your memory is our keepsake. With which we’ll never part. […]

Utah Division of Indian Affairs Logo

American Indian Caucus Day

Melissa Blasing | April 27, 2021

In February 2021, AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program, AMBER Alert in Indian Country (AATTAP-AIIC) team members attended a virtual American Indian Caucus Day hosted by the Utah Division of Indian Affairs. The focus of this event was for legislators, community members, and Tribal leaders to discuss and share resources centered on improving state-Tribal […]

NICWA Protecting Our Children 39th Annual Event Logo

39th Annual Protecting Our Children National American Indian Virtual Conference

Melissa Blasing | April 20, 2021

On April 14, 2021, AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program, AMBER Alert in Indian Country (AATTAP-AIIC) team members, Tyesha Wood and Pamela Foster, presented at the virtual 39th Annual Protecting our Children National American Indian Conference, hosted by the National Indian Child Welfare Association. Ms. Foster shared with participants the story of her daughter, […]

Presidential Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaskan Natives Logo

Nation’s first Tribal Community Response Plan (TCRP)

Melissa Blasing | April 5, 2021

From the U.S. Department of Justice, April 1, 2021: Acting U.S. Attorney Leif Johnson, The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and FBI Announce Completion of Tribal Community Response Plan to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons PABLO — The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) of […]

Shiprock Monument

AMBER Alert in Indian Country – Issue 1 2021

Brian Thurber | March 25, 2021

By Denise Gee Peacock On Nov. 25, 2020, the Navajo Nation AMBER Alert faced its first real test – and aced it. The AMBER Alert led to two young sisters being safely returned to their home in northwest New Mexico, and that left Navajo Nation Department of Emergency Management Harlan Cleveland breathing yet another sigh […]

A large painted mural adorns a memorial for Amber Hagerman, the little girl who was abducted on her bike and later found dead in Arlington, Texas in 1996.(Tom Fox / Staff Photographer)

25 years after the abduction of Amber Hagerman, hope and hard work continue

Brian Thurber | January 19, 2021

From the Dallas Morning News: “For the first time, police said they have DNA evidence that someday — with new technology that has solved other high-profile cold cases — could be the key to finding her killer.” A hallmark of surviving families is their strength and resilience in keeping hope – active and intentional – […]

AMBER Alert in Indian Country – Issue 4 2020

Brian Thurber | December 11, 2020

A nine-member task force has begun compiling a report on murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls in Utah. The task force hopes to understand the scope of the problem and stop further injustices from occurring. The members include representatives from Restoring Ancestral Winds, the Urban Indian Center, the Paiute Indian Tribe, and several state […]

First Year Report on Operation Lady Justice Activities & Accomplishments

Melissa Blasing | December 10, 2020

(From the USDOJ official press release) The Presidential Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) today [December 10, 2020] released a status report detailing accomplishments during its first year and outlining its strategy for the next 12 months. The President’s Executive Order (E.O.) 13898, set forth a range of tasks […]