St. Paul, MN - Today, the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives (MMIR) Office announced the official opening of the Gaagige-Mikwendaagoziwag MMIR Reward Fund, a critical new initiative that is part of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives (MMIR) Office. Representative Liish Kozlowski (DFL-Duluth) authored the bill in the Minnesota House of Representatives.
This historic initiative offers monetary rewards up to $10,000 for tips in eligible missing persons, suspicious death, and homicide investigations. The goal is to meaningfully advance eligible MMIR cases and bring justice and closure to families and community impacted by the invisible epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous relatives (MMIR).
“MMIR is not just a hashtag, it’s our reality. This is our call for justice. I am proud to witness the launch of this community-led program that will serve as a powerful tool to solve cases and advance our movement to end this crisis. We sound out Gaagige-Mikwendaagoziwag meaning "they will be remembered forever" and will never stop fighting to protect our relatives and bringing them home, to justice.” said Rep. Liish Kozlowski, who championed the legislation in the House.
Representative Liish Kozlowski authored the legislation that established the Gaagige-Mikwendaagoziwag Reward Fund during the 2022 legislative session, with a one-time allocation of $250,000. The fund is designed to raise awareness around MMIR and providing robust support around community-based prevention and search efforts, law enforcement investigations, search and recovery efforts including placing search kits regionally throughout Minnesota, and more.
To ensure the fund would endure into the future, the Native American Legislative Caucus members, Rep. Heather Keeler and Sen. Kunesh, also championed a specialty MMIR license plate to generate ongoing contributions to the fund that became law in 2023. Minnesotans have shown overwhelming support with over 4,458 plates registered to date, making the MMIR plate the third most popular specialty plate in Minnesota. Currently, the Reward Fund holds approximately $350,000, with over $100,000 contributed through plate purchases alone.
“Together, we'll solve this crisis by raising MMIR in our collective consciousness, enduring action, and investment of resources to tackle this invisible epidemic and create a world free of violence. That world is waiting for us – somebody out there knows something, knows where our relatives are at, and this tip money could be the difference maker for breaking the silence,” said Rep. Kozlowski.
While the goal of the Reward Fund’s Tip Program is simple, the road to get here took time, careful attention to detail and deep collaboration across multiple agencies. The Gaagige-Mikwendaagoziwag Reward Advisory Group, the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), the Department of Public Safety’s general counsel, numerous law enforcement agencies and CrimeStoppers all contributed greatly to the effort.
“Thanks to their collective work, there are currently 16 active cases that are eligible for the reward fund,” said Rep. Liish Kozlowski. “Giving 16 families and communities renewed hope, and a missing link that financial incentives will yield critical evidence to bring their relatives home, for long-over due justice, promote healing, and to put an end to violence against Indigenous peoples.”
For more information on how to submit a tip or contribute to the fund, visit the Department of Public Safety’s MMIR Office page: https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/ojp/offices-missing-murdered/mmir-office
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