of the citizens. >> A rally for missing and
Murdered Indigenous People was held at the Capitol to
bring awareness to this growing concern for the
state's tribal community "Here& Now", reporter Erika
Ayisi spoke with the task force on how they are trying
to gather data to address the problem. This report is
in collaboration with our partners ICT, formerly
Indian Country Today. >> A day of Remembrance.
>> I am a relative of Caitlin Kelley, the
indigenous young woman that was stolen from us on June
19th, 2021 and was tragically murdered.
>> For Wisconsin's missing and murdered indigenous
people. >> Today, we honor our
relatives that are still out there missing. Today, we
honor our relatives that have been murdered. Over 20
speakers gathered outside the Capitol.
>> Today, we stand together in solidarity and unity to
bring justice, to bring awareness.
>> Awareness about the disproportionate number of
missing and murdered indigenous people in
Wisconsin's native tribes. >> Reitz Pocan was my
auntie. Family members said. Their loved ones names a
reminder to the public that their relative is not
forgotten. >> My little brother, Sean
Grinnell, was brutally murdered on the reservation
and also my nephew, Cory Grinnell.
>> A single red hand symbol printed on shirts, skirts
and signs signaling that a member of the indigenous
community left home and never returned.
>> And had a son murdered. One year ago. These two
boys, they were best friends. They died together,
and their killer is still out there.
>> A Milwaukee mother grieves and calls for
justice. >> Monroe. We saw in Alex
Sanchez how. We need justice.
>> Missing and murdered indigenous people is an
increasing concern affecting all of Wisconsin's native
tribes. Many of these cases go unsolved, like the murder
of Andy Lemke's cousin Ray. >> Elaine went missing when
we were just 18 years old. She had a six week old baby,
Elise. >> Shannon Holsey, president
of Stockbridge-munsee Band of Mohican Indians, says
addressing the issue of missing and murdered
indigenous people starts by dismantling erasure towards
Native Americans and respecting tribal
sovereignty. >> Accepting what
sovereignty looks like, allowing tribal nations to
exercise that sovereignty, and looking at
cross-jurisdictional ways to share that data to make sure
that we come together as collective people and
understand that this is not an Meir crisis. This is a
humanitarian effort. >> In 2020, state Attorney
General Josh Kaul formed the Missing and Murdered
Indigenous Women Task Force to help address this effort.
According to the Bureau of Indian Affairs. There's over
4000 unsolved cases across America. But here in
Wisconsin, that exact number is difficult to track. The
task force says they're releasing a report by the
end of this year, in the exact number of missing
indigenous people in Wisconsin is also missing.
>> We lack resources, including just simple, like
databases. Every other police officer in the state
has access to, like an NCIS database where when a person
goes missing, they immediately. That will go
throughout all the police forces. And we don't have
access to that type of equipment. That's very vital
when our relatives go missing.
of the Wisconsin's Missing and Murdered Indigenous
Women Task Force, says their upcoming report includes a
request for $3.5 million. >> For liaison positions and
why we decided that we needed to do that is because
as a task force, we never anticipated families coming
directly to us and needing our assistance when their
relatives went missing, or for them to come to us if
they wanted to look at cold cases.
>> About 80% of indigenous people live in urban areas.
Others live on reservations. Rufus says part of their
action plans for the state are collaborative efforts
between county and tribal jurisdictions.
>> We really rely on our county partners to identify
us correctly and to get that data back to our tribal
communities, and that that system just isn't in place.
And so that's something that we are recommending.
>> Stories of Prehn. >> Ranay Elena Turlock was
my cousin. >> And loss.
>> Mary C tomorrow. >> We're matched with
support for healing. >> We need to hear these
stories, and these stories need to be told because we
need justice. We need healing.
>> Kyle Stout, he was murdered.
>> Braxton Lee Phillips, you are never forgotten.
>> Reporting from Madison. I'm Eric Ayisi for "Here&