Presidential Documents

27905 

Federal Register 

Vol. 87, No. 89 

Monday, May 9, 2022 

Title 3— 

The President 

Proclamation 10389 of May 4, 2022 

Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day, 

2022 

By the President of the United States of America 

A Proclamation 

For generations, Indigenous persons, including American Indians, Alaska 

Natives and Native Hawaiians, have been forced to mourn a missing or 

murdered loved one without the answers and support they deserve. On 

Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day, we remember 

these victims and their families, and commit to working with Tribal Nations 

and Native communities to achieve justice and healing. 

The Federal Government has an obligation to ensure that cases of missing 

or murdered persons are met with swift and effective action. My Administration is fully committed to investigating and resolving these cases through 

a coordinated law enforcement response, as well as intervention and prevention efforts. We are also dedicated to researching the underlying causes 

of this violence and to working with Native communities to address them. 

The safety and well-being of all Native Americans continues to be a top 

priority for my Administration. That is why during my first year in office, 

at the first White House Tribal Nations Summit, I issued an Executive 

Order directing Federal agencies to improve public safety and criminal justice 

for Native Americans and to address the crisis of missing or murdered 

Indigenous people. This includes implementing a coordinated Federal law 

enforcement strategy that supports Tribal and other local law enforcement 

efforts. It also strengthens prevention, early intervention, and survivor services while improving data collection, analysis, and information sharing. 

For far too long, justice for Indigenous communities has been elusive. We 

must improve our investigations to resolve missing or murdered cases while 

supporting victims and their families. Toward that aim, the Department 

of Justice is working closely with Tribal Nations to develop regionally appropriate guidelines for these cases. The Department of Justice has created 

a dedicated steering committee to oversee and coordinate this critical work, 

including an outreach services liaison for Federal criminal cases in Indian 

Country. 

This March, I signed into law the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022. This important law expands special criminal jurisdiction 

of Tribal courts to cover non-Native perpetrators of sexual assault, child 

abuse, stalking, sex trafficking, and assaults on Tribal law enforcement officers on Tribal lands and supports the development of a pilot project to 

enhance access to safety for survivors in Alaska Native villages. 

My Administration understands that Native people, particularly survivors 

of violence, know best what their communities need to feel safe. That 

is why we must work hand in hand with Tribal partners through each 

phase of the justice system to create solutions that are victim-centered, 

trauma-informed, and culturally appropriate. 

Our Nation’s failure to address this ongoing tragedy not only demeans the 

dignity of each Indigenous person who goes missing or is murdered—it 

undermines the humanity of us all. Today and every day, we must continue 

to stand up for Indigenous people, and we must never forget the thousands 


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27906 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 89 / Monday, May 9, 2022 / Presidential Documents 

of unsolved cases that continue to cry out for justice and healing. As a 

Nation, we must answer that call and work together to achieve the promise 

of America for all Americans. 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States 

of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution 

and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 5, 2022, as 

Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day. I call on all Americans and ask all levels of government to support Tribal governments and 

Tribal communities’ efforts to increase awareness of the issue of missing 

or murdered Indigenous persons through appropriate programs and activities. 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fourth day 

of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-two, and of the 

Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fortysixth. 

[FR Doc. 2022–10073 

Filed 5–6–22; 11:15 am] 

Billing code 3395–F2–P 


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