When California became a state in 1850, its First People were met with violence, forced removal, and government-sanctioned militias that targeted Native communities. That painful history must be acknowledged because its impacts are still felt today.
In 2026, California is home to more Native Americans than any other state. Yet Native people continue to face violence, disappearances, and too often, a lack of urgency when families ask for help.
Today, 930 Native Americans are listed as missing in the NAMUS database. According to federal data, 84% of Native people have experienced violence in their lifetime. Homicide remains a leading cause of death for young Native people, and too many families still struggle to access services when they need help most.
Recently, the State Capitol, the city of San Bernardino, and the University of Redlands stood in solidarity to bring awareness to the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons, also known as MMIP. The message was clear: enough is enough.
Too many tribal families are living with the pain of a missing loved one. Too many are forced to search for answers without the urgency, coordination, and support they deserve.
For families still searching, MMIP Month is not about symbolism. It is about action. It is about building the awareness, partnerships, and systems needed to help bring loved ones home and support families still waiting for answers.
Through ACR 163, the month of May was recognized as MMIP Awareness Month. Since joining the Legislature, I have worked to address this crisis by introducing legislation to improve data collection through the Attorney General’s Office, working with the California Highway Patrol to create the Feather Alert system, addressing Public Law 280 to support tribal policing authority, and continuing to hold hearings on this issue.
These efforts are important, but many of them respond after harm has already occurred. We must also do more to prevent people from going missing in the first place.
That means making sure mental health resources are available when warning signs appear. It means strengthening oversight in the foster care system. It means protecting the rights of Native children and families under the Indian Child Welfare Act. Prevention must be part of our response.
For Native families, this crisis is deeply personal. It is a daughter who never came home. A son whose case went quiet too quickly. A parent, sibling, cousin, or friend whose disappearance left behind fear, grief, and unanswered questions.
On May 6, more than 1,000 members of tribal communities from across California gathered in Sacramento to stand together and say enough is enough. These gatherings were not just ceremonies. They were part of a larger movement to raise awareness, improve investigations, strengthen partnerships, and support families.
That work is beginning to take shape.
District attorneys, sheriffs, tribal leaders, and community partners are starting to build stronger cooperation. In San Diego County, tribal leaders joined local law enforcement and the district attorney in an agreement to improve communication and coordination in cases involving missing Indigenous people.
That matters. Families should never have to face delay, confusion, or indifference when they are trying to bring a loved one home.
Across the state, tribes continue to lead through policy summits, advocacy, and direct support for families. More people are learning about tools like Feather Alert. More agencies are beginning to understand that this crisis cannot be ignored or treated as someone else’s responsibility.
But progress is not the same as justice.
No family should have to beg to be taken seriously when a loved one disappears. No one should be told to wait when every minute matters. No community should have to wonder whether its pain would be treated differently if it came from another ZIP code, another background, or another part of the state.
California remains among the states with serious challenges in addressing unresolved missing persons and murder cases. This is also a national crisis. Across the country, Indigenous communities are holding vigils, marches, trainings, and public events because families are asking for the same basic things: urgency, accountability, visibility, and action.
They are right to ask.
The red lights across California were not there to decorate buildings. They were there to force recognition. They were there to say these families count. These losses matter. And awareness cannot be where the work ends.
We saw what solidarity can look like. Now California, and the country, must show what action looks like.
I urge every law enforcement agency, local government, and community partner to work with tribal nations, use Feather Alert, and treat every missing person case with urgency from the first call.
Standing with the First People of this state means turning awareness into action — and refusing to accept silence, delay, or indifference any longer.
James Ramos represents California’s 45th Assembly District. He is chair of the Select Committee on Native American Affairs and a member of the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation.