Jurisdictional gaps do not only burden tribal communities. They also deeply impact Native Americans living in urban areas. Whether on or off the reservation, cases involving missing and murdered relatives, domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking are too often delayed, dismissed, or deprioritized. Across systems, our cases are frequently placed on the back burner.

Let me ask an honest question: Do you think that is accidental?

Jurisdictional confusion has existed since the earliest days of federal control over our people, when movement was restricted and our sovereignty was undermined. Those systems were never designed to protect us. They were designed to manage us. Today, that legacy continues in fragmented law enforcement authority, unclear responsibility, and agencies passing cases from one office to another while families wait for answers.

More than 70% of Native Americans now live in urban areas. Yet when our relatives go missing or experience violence in city and county jurisdictions, their cases are still often minimized, delayed, or poorly investigated. Urban residency has not brought protection. In many ways, it has created new layers of invisibility.

We have to ask ourselves why.

Is it because Native people are still viewed through harmful stereotypes? As alcoholics. As addicts. As homeless. As unstable. As “less credible.” As “less urgent.” As “less worthy of resources.” These narratives are not harmless. They shape how cases are treated. They influence whether urgency is applied. They affect whether families are taken seriously.

Research shows that Native women experience violence at some of the highest rates in the country, yet our cases remain among the most underreported and under-investigated. Studies have also found that many law enforcement agencies lack clear protocols for handling Indigenous cases, especially when tribal, state, and federal jurisdictions overlap. This leads to delays, lost evidence, and families being left without answers.

We often hear that jurisdiction is “complicated.” But complexity should never mean neglect.

Clear systems can be built. Agreements can be strengthened. Training can be improved. Sovereignty can be respected while coordination is prioritized. The question is whether there is the political and institutional will to do so.

Perhaps part of the problem lies in how law enforcement is trained. Perhaps it lies in how Indigenous communities are historically viewed. Perhaps it lies in systemic racism that has never been fully confronted. Most likely, it is all of the above.

What we do know is this: the same failures appear again and again, both on and off the reservation. Families are left to advocate alone. Mothers become investigators. Communities are forced to organize their own searches. Survivors are asked to prove their pain.

If we are willing to speak honestly about discrimination, bias, and institutional neglect, we can begin to change how these cases are handled. Justice will not come from silence. It will come from accountability, transparency, and sustained pressure for reform.

We are raising these questions not to accuse, but to demand better. To start real conversations about solutions. To push for systems that value Indigenous lives equally. To ensure that no family is left fighting alone.

What are your thoughts?

If you want to learn more or get involved, reach out to us at info@notournativedaughters.org

Not Our Native Daughters

Because every life deserves urgency.