California Tribes Gather for Justice at 4th Annual MMIP Summit
- The Yurok Tribe
- 15 hours ago
- 5 min read
Annual Summit Takes Place February 3-4 at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Sacramento
The 4th Annual Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) Tribal Policy Summit is happening on February 3rd and 4th at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Sacramento in Wheatland, CA.
“California tribes are standing together to say, ‘No More’,” said Joseph L. James, the Chairman of the Yurok Tribe in far Northern California. “Through intertribal cooperation and collaboration with state partners, we are working on policy and legislative solutions designed to prevent future MMIP cases and bring justice to countless families affected by this crisis.”
The annual summit is expected to draw more than 1,000 people over two days, including representatives from tribes in all parts of California. The intent of the annual event is to bring together California tribes, state legislators, MMIP-affected families, victim advocates and other experts to examine and address the underlying factors driving the MMIP crisis. This year’s theme is “Justice, Healing, and Sovereignty: Tribal Solutions to the MMIP Crisis.”
“I thank the Yurok Tribe and all the other tribes advancing solutions to end the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People crisis. The work by the tribes at the annual MMIP summit is a valuable resource for policy makers such as legislators, justice and law enforcement officials and community leaders. This work ensures continued attention and momentum on an issue that creates a rippling effect of trauma on victims and their loved ones. It also reminds us that we must keep a focus on victims and the need to provide wraparound recovery services for their victims,” said Assemblymember James C Ramos.
The summit starts with a press briefing at 9am on Tuesday, February 3 at the Hard Rock Casino entrance. Speaking at the briefing will be Chairman James, Vice Chairwoman June Nachor for the Tejon Indian Tribe in Southern California and Chairperson Glenda Nelson from the Estom Yumeka Maidu Tribe of the Enterprise Rancheria near Sacramento. They will be joined by other tribal leaders and state legislators including Assemblymember James C. Ramos, Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva and Assemblymember Avelino Valencia.
“We are committed to standing together to combat this epidemic until we finally see its end. This summit is designed to bring together everyone who has been affected, as well as those who are dedicated to driving meaningful change, to collectively put an end to this crisis,” added Erica M. Pinto, the Chairwoman of Jamul Indian Village of California.
The press briefing and both days of the summit will be livestreamed here - https://www.facebook.com/TheYurokTribe
California Attorney General Rob Bonta will be providing the Keynote address on the second day.
“Our Tribal communities form the foundation of California's rich cultural tapestry and continue to contribute to our society in immeasurable ways. And yet, the struggles they have endured have been nothing short of brutal,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta. “For too long, Indigenous people, especially women and girls, have gone missing or been found murdered and their cases lay unresolved — as do generations of historical trauma. We cannot erase our dark history, but we can — and must — recognize it, apologize for it, and work to break the cycle. This event exemplifies how change happens — not through one bill, or one meeting, or one conference — but through sustained commitment, relentless advocacy, and shared responsibility. As Attorney General, I’ve made it a priority to not only listen, but to push forward meaningful structural change with tribal communities leading the way. We will continue to follow the lead of Tribal communities to partner in justice and create the change we need to see.”
The summit will include presentations from MMIP survivors, Indigenous youth and victim advocates. There will be several panel discussions as well. One panel will spotlight specific MMIP cases, including that of Nicole Smith, a mother of three and citizen of the Manchester Band of Pomo Indians, whose 2017 homicide remains unsolved. Another panel will examine the MMIP crisis in the Bay Area’s Urban Indian community, exploring both its impact and the environmental factors that have contributed to violence against Indigenous people.
At the summit, Tribal leaders and state lawmakers will discuss two proposed pieces of legislation intended to resolve key aspects of the crisis. One of the bills, SB 891, introduced by Senator Sabrina Cervantes and sponsored by the Yurok Tribe, would establish a Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Justice Program within the state Department of Justice. The program would coordinate efforts across agencies, serving as a liaison between tribal victims’ families, tribal governments, and law enforcement at the local, state, federal, and, when necessary, out-of-state levels, on both active and inactive cases.
Proposed by Assemblymember Chris Rodgers, AB 1574 would establish a Tribal Foster Care Prevention Program, providing funding to help California tribes pay for services proven to keep families together and prevent Indigenous children from entering the state’s child welfare system, a known MMIP pathway.
California ranks fifth in the nation for the highest number of MMIP cases, despite being the fifth-largest economy in the world. Far too many of these cases are inadequately investigated. Recent research shows that only a small fraction of murders committed against Indigenous people are ever solved. More than 50 percent of the perpetrators of violence against Indigenous women are non-Native, according to an in-depth study conducted by the Yurok Tribal Court.
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 and child welfare disparities. These are among the many factors that have fueled the MMIP crisis.
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 and the third on the Pala Reservation in 2025.
"Previous summits have established a powerful foundation from which to fight for the health and safety of all Indigenous people in the state. When California tribes join in partnership with our allies, we are collectively able to advance real change, address longstanding injustices, and promote long-term healing," concluded Yurok COO Taralyn Ipiña.
The 4th Annual MMIP Summit is sponsored by the Yurok Tribe, Jamul Indian Village, Seminole Tribe of Florida, Estom Yumeka Maidu Tribe of the Enterprise Rancheria, Wilton Rancheria, Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, The California Wellness Foundation, Decolonizing Wealth and Common Counsel Foundation.
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Contact:
Yurok Tribe - Matt Mais
(707) 954-0976
