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Murder

New Laws Aim to Address Montana's Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Crisis

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Montana lawmakers are taking steps to address the disproportionately high rates of missing and murdered Indigenous people in the state. New laws aim to bolster the state's Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Advisory Council, allowing it to raise its own money and create a curriculum on how to prevent human trafficking. The laws also require the Montana Office of Public Instruction to create a curriculum on human trafficking prevention and make training materials available for school bus drivers.

Key Takeaways:

  • Indigenous people are four times more likely to be reported missing in Montana than their counterparts.
  • As of Wednesday, Indigenous people accounted for 24% of the state's active missing persons reports, despite making up only 6.5% of the population.
  • Montana's Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Advisory Council has been created to analyze data and propose solutions to address the crisis.
  • The council is now allowed to receive donations and other funds, thanks to House Bill 83, signed into law in February.
  • Senate Bill 107, signed into law on May 12, requires the Montana Office of Public Instruction to create a curriculum on how to identify and prevent human trafficking.
  • The new laws aim to address the root causes of the crisis, such as poverty, lack of access to resources, and inadequate funding for law enforcement on reservations.

Statistics:

  • Indigenous people are four times more likely to be reported missing in Montana than their counterparts.
  • 24% of Montana's active missing persons reports involve Indigenous people, despite making up only 6.5% of the population.
  • In 2023, more than 80% of people reported missing in Montana were under 18.
  • The Northern Cheyenne Tribe and Fort Belknap Indian Community have filed separate lawsuits against the federal government, alleging the United States has failed to provide adequate law enforcement resources in their communities.

Sources:

  • ICT Native Americans in Montana are four times more likely to be reported missing than their counterparts, according to a state Department of Justice report (https://dojmt.gov/wp-content/uploads/Montana-Missing-Indigenous-Persons-Task-Force-2024-Report.pdf).
  • As of Wednesday, Indigenous people accounted for 24% of the state's active missing persons reports, despite making up only 6.5% of the population (https://app.doj.mt.gov/apps/missingPersonDatabase/search/results.php?filter=indigenous).
  • Montana lawmakers enacted legislation creating the state's Missing Indigenous Persons Task Force (now called the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Advisory Council) and establishing a grant fund to support volunteer search efforts (https://ictnews.org/).
  • House Bill 83, signed into law in February, allows the advisory council to receive donations and other funds (https://projects.montanafreepress.org/capitol-tracker-2025/bills/hb-83/).
  • Senate Bill 107, signed into law on May 12, requires the Montana Office of Public Instruction to create a curriculum on how to identify and prevent human trafficking (https://projects.montanafreepress.org/capitol-tracker-2025/bills/sb-107/).

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