The relatives of 10 missing or murdered Indigenous people courageously shared the stories of their lost loved ones at the 3rd Annual MMIP Summit in Pala, California. Tribal leaders and state legislators from across the state discussed the different manifestations of this crisis in California, which has the fifth highest number of MMIP cases in the US. "The summit sparked significant progress and built powerful momentum in the fight to end the MMIP crisis," said Yurok COO Taralyn Ipiña. "These annual events demonstrate that when California tribes unite with our allies, we can drive meaningful change, challenge injustices, and create healing and empowerment." More than 550 tribal leaders, state legislators, law enforcement, MMIP survivors and victim advocates from across California attended the Yurok Tribe and Pala Band of Mission Indians-sponsored event on February 25-26 at the Pala Hotel, Spa and Casino.

The MMIP crisis is entrenched in the historical traumas of colonization, enslavement, boarding schools and the federal and state-sanctioned genocide that reduced California’s Native populations by 90%. Decades of marginalization have only deepened the vulnerability of Indigenous communities, resulting in high rates of poverty, lack of housing, child welfare disparities, entanglement in the criminal justice system, and ongoing threats to the health and well-being of Indigenous people. At the 2025 MMIP Summit, a panel of brilliant Indigenous youth discussed how MMIP negatively influences their daily lives. Tribal leaders from San Diego to the California/Oregon border detailed what they are doing to stem the crisis. Relatives of multiple Indigenous missing persons and murder victims spoke about the challenges they faced in finding justice for lost loved ones. In many of the cases, the perpetrators have yet to be identified. Additional summit topics included: the impact of sex trafficking on Indigenous people, online safety, challenges faced by Indigenous justice advocates and tribe-centered legislation.

One of the proposed bills is California Assemblymember James C. Ramos’s AB 31, Peace Officer: Tribal Police Pilot Program. AB 31 would create a pilot program allowing certain tribal police officers to exercise peace office authority in California under specific circumstances. Qualified tribal police officers will have the ability to enforce state laws within their respective jurisdictions, making the entire state safer. Another bill, California Senator Cervantes’s SB 4 seeks to create a Missing and Murdered Indigenous Person Justice Program within the Department of Justice to improve collaboration between tribal governments, state law enforcement, and federal agencies. The legislation strengthens communication and resource-sharing between tribal police, state authorities, and the Department of Justice, and aims to streamline investigation protocols, ensuring MMIP cases receive the necessary attention. Violent crimes committed against Indigenous people are far less likely to be solved.

In 2023, the Yurok Tribe sponsored California’s first MMIP Summit and Day of Action in response to the disproportionate number of MMIP cases in the state. The second summit occurred in Sacramento in 2024. The summits have resulted in meaningful progress in the effort to address the root causes of the MMIP crisis. The Yurok Tribe would like to thank everyone who attended the 3rd Annual MMIP Summit. We also want to give a special shout out to everyone who participated in the Brush Dance and Flower Dance demonstrations as well as to Wayne Nelson and Intertribal Bird Singers and the Kumeyaay Singers.​​​