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A r u b a ’ s O N L Y E n g l i s h n e w s p a p e r
Aruba’s ONLY English newspaper
Washington OKs 1st statewide missing Indigenous people alert

TULALIP, Wash. (AP) — “I am proud to say that
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee the Missing and Murdered
on Thursday signed into law Indigenous Women’s and
a bill that creates a first-in- People’s Alert System
the-nation statewide alert came from the voices of
system for missing Indig- our Native American lead-
enous people, to help ad- ers,” said Lekanoff, a mem-
dress a silent crisis that has ber of the Tlingit tribe and
plagued Indian Country in the bill’s chief sponsor. “It’s
this state and nationwide. not just an Indian issue, it’s
The law sets up a system not just an Indian responsi-
similar to Amber Alerts and bility. Our sisters, our aunt-
so-called silver alerts, which ies, our grandmothers are
are used respectively for going missing every day ...
missing children and vul- and it’s been going on for
nerable adults in many far too long.”
states. It was spearheaded Tribal leaders, many of
by Democratic Rep. Debra them women, wore tra-
Lekanoff, the only Native ditional hats woven from
American lawmaker cur- cedar as they gathered
rently serving in the Wash- around Inslee for the sign- Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, center, reaches for a pen as tribal leaders and other supporters ap-
plaud after he signed a bill that creates a first-in-the-nation statewide alert system for missing
ington state Legislature, ing on the Tulalip Reserva- Indigenous people — particularly women, Thursday, March 31, 2022, in Quil Ceda Village, near
and championed by Indig- tion, north of Seattle. Marysville, Wash., north of Seattle.
enous leaders statewide. Continued on next page Associated Press