MINNEAPOLIMEDIA NEWS | Minnesota DPS to Hold MMIR Day of Awareness Ceremony in Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (May 5, 2026) The Minnesota Department of Public Safety will mark National Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Day of Awareness on Tuesday with a formal remembrance ceremony at the Minneapolis American Indian Center.

The event, organized through the state’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Office, will run from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. and is part of a broader statewide week of awareness activities focused on violence affecting Indigenous communities.

Event Details

The ceremony will be held at the Minneapolis American Indian Center, located at 1530 East Franklin Avenue. Officials, community leaders, and family members are expected to attend.

The central component of the event will be a public reading of names. Organizers say more than 250 Indigenous individuals identified by the state as missing or murdered will be read aloud during the program.

The ceremony will also include a visual tribute installation featuring hand-painted names created during community art events held in late April.

State Data and Scope of the Issue

According to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Office has identified more than 250 cases across the state since its creation.

The office uses a hybrid data model that combines law enforcement records with community-submitted reports. State officials say this approach has identified cases that were not previously captured in traditional databases, in part due to jurisdictional divisions between tribal, state, and federal authorities.

Minnesota established the office within its Office of Justice Programs following recommendations from a statewide task force, making it one of the first state-level offices in the country dedicated to addressing the issue.

Office Role and Ongoing Work

The MMIR Office coordinates across agencies and provides direct support to affected families. Its functions include:

• Assigning victim specialists and family support liaisons
• Facilitating communication between tribal investigators and state law enforcement
• Publishing and distributing missing person case information
• Supporting ongoing investigations and public awareness efforts

The office has also expanded its work to include the state’s Violence Prevention Project, which uses collected data to inform early intervention strategies and mental health support initiatives.

Observance and Context

May 5 is recognized nationally as Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Day of Awareness. The date was selected in honor of Hanna Harris of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, who was murdered in 2013.

Across Minnesota and nationally, the observance is associated with the color red, which is used in vigils and public events to symbolize those who are missing or have been killed. Organizers say attendees at Tuesday’s event are encouraged to wear red.

Next Steps

State officials say the annual observance serves both as a memorial and as part of ongoing efforts to improve case tracking, coordination, and prevention strategies.

The Minnesota Legislature and state agencies continue to review policy and funding approaches tied to MMIR-related work, including data collection, victim services, and cross-jurisdictional coordination.

The ceremony is open to the public.

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