Pit River Tribe’s 2nd Annual MMIP Prayer Walk Took Place in Burney, California, on May 2, 2026

MMIP Walk begins on Hwy 299/Main Street in Burney

Indigenous communities across the United States of America have come together to honor loved ones gone missing or have been murdered (MMIP), including the Pit River Tribe, one of over 574 federally recognized Native American tribes in the United States of America, of which 229 are located in Alaska.

Pit River Tribe Elder, Theodore Martinez, with Pit River Tribe Chairman, Yatch Bamford.

And on Tuesday, May 5, 2026,  several dozen Pit River Tribe members took part in the 2nd Annual MMIP Prayer Walk, sponsored by the Pit River Tribe, who proclaimed Tuesday, May 5, 2026, Missing And Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day, calling for increased attention—and resources—to address this crisis.  The MMIP Prayer Walk participants gathered at the corner of Black Ranch Roadway and Highway 299/Main Street, where Pit River Tribe Elder Theodore Martinez led the group in a pre-march prayer and inspirational remarks.

Pit River Tribe Missing Murdered Indigenous People Coordinator, Amanda Geofort leads the MMIP Walk

Morgan Nugent, Superintendent of the Fall River Joint Unified School District (FRJUSD), and Chris Knoch, Director of Street Services, attend the MMIP pre-walk ceremony.

From there, the Pit River Tribe MMIP Prayer Walk marchers proceeded westward for one-and-one-half miles to the Pit River Casino, located at 20265 Tamarack in Burney, California, 90613, where participants were treated to lunch inside the Pit River Casino’s restaurant, the River Rock Bar and Grill....and the event continued until four o’clock that afternoon.

According to Pit River Tribe officials, Native Americans and Alaska Natives are disproportionately affected by violent crime, with statistics showing Native Americans are more than twice as likely to be crime victims, compared to the general population.  Also, say Pit River Tribe officials, Native women are particularly vulnerable, facing murder rates more than ten times the national average on some reservations.

Additionally, various initiatives are underway in the country, including those undertaken by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which aims to tackle indigenous cold cases by deploying agents in multiple American cities to help solve them.  Organizations, such as the  New Mexico Department of Justice, have launched portals for reporting and tracking missing and murdered indigenous people, providing a centralized resource for families and authorities. 

Dawn Corona, Pit River Tribe Victim Services Court Advocate, with Suntana Sanchez, ILLMANI Band member and James Ward, on bicycle

Monroe Collins, CS Housing Program Manager

Also, according to the FBI, over 10,000 missing persons are identified as Native American, with 54% being females and 46% being males; almost two-thirds of these individuals are 17 years old or younger. Over 5,000 cases of missing and murdered cases are reported across 71 selected American cities.  And according to the Sovereign Bodies Institute, a non-profit organization based in Eureka, California, that seeks to end sexual crimes, its database contains over 4,000 cases in the United States and Canada since 2021.