Inter-Tribal Council passes resolution urging FCC to establish specific event code for missing and endangered persons

April 19, 2024

by Tony Choate - Chickasaw Nation

From left, Chickasaw Nation Lt. Governor Chris Anoatubby, Choctaw Nation Assistant Chief Jack Austin Jr., Seminole Nation of Oklahoma Chief Lewis Johnson, Muscogee Nation Principal Chief David Hill and Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr., at the April 19 quarterly meeting of the Inter-Tribal Council (ITC) of the Five Civilized Tribes, hosted at the WinStar World Casino and Resort Convention Center.

THACKERVILLE, Okla. – The Inter-Tribal Council (ITC) of the Five Civilized Tribes passed a resolution urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to establish a specific event code for missing and endangered persons at their quarterly meeting April 19 at WinStar World Casino and Resort.

“First American men and women have historically been disproportionately affected by missing person cases, with First Americans constituting 2.5% of all missing persons cases despite comprising only 1.2% of the U.S. population, as reported by the National Crime Information Center, underscoring the urgent need for targeted measures,” the resolution reads. “First American women are at an even greater risk of going missing or being, Endangered, with estimates suggesting that they are ten times more likely to fall victim to homicide than the average American woman, emphasizing the urgent need for focused attention and specialized support.”

While the FCC maintains the list of approved event codes, the resolution says current codes do not account for this unprecedented situation regarding missing and endangered Indigenous persons, and calls for a new code for this purpose.

The resolution said doing this, “would guarantee that these cases receive the alerting attention over the nation’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) to enhance the efforts to address the murdered and missing Indigenous peoples’ crisis.”

The resolution stems from a letter from Native Public Media, who also sponsored a resolution passed last year by the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI).

The ITC passed five resolutions at their quarterly meeting, including:

Resolution 24-03 – A Resolution Urging the Federal Communications Commission to establish a specific event code for Missing and Endangered Persons

Resolution 24-04 – A Resolution Supporting a Permanent Tribal Waiver from the Build America, Buy America Act

Resolution 24-05 – A Resolution Urging the United States Department of Agriculture to Support the Expansion of Self-Determination and Self-Governance Authority Throughout the Agency

Resolution 24-06 – A Resolution Urging the Indian Health Service to Continue Funding Housing Projects

Resolution 24-07 – A Resolution Commending Oklahoma Advisory Council on American Indian Education and Supporting Initiatives to Promote American Indian Education Taught in Oklahoma Schools