We are navigating a reality where the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) is a constant and painful threat to our mothers, daughters, and sisters. For Indigenous women traveling routes between Duluth’s urban center and surrounding tribal lands, these isolated stretches create dangerous "dead zones" where it is incredibly difficult to call for help. In 2025, more than 8,000 people went missing across Minnesota, according to the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and nearly 1,000 were Native American. For Native families, the agony of a disappearance is too often compounded by jurisdictional confusion and a historical lack of urgency from authorities. Our Indigenous women deserve the protection of a system that works, the urgency of a community that cares, and every resource available to bring our loved ones home safely.