SANTA FE, N.M. — New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed legislation Monday to create a “turquoise alert” for when Native Americans go missing in the state.
The effort — which had overwhelming support among lawmakers — responds to a troubling number of disappearances and killings in Indian Country.
The “turquoise alert” system — taking its name from the blue-green mineral — will allow law enforcement to quickly share information. It will function much like “amber” and “silver” alerts that highlight the disappearance of children and the elderly. Cellphone alerts will be issued when law enforcement finds evidence of imminent danger in the disappearance of a Native American.
The legislation wasn’t just a policy achievement, but a victory for every Native American mother, daughter, sister and aunt who has ever been impacted by violence, said Tiffany Jiron, executive director of the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women.
“This bill reflects our deep commitment to ensuring that no Indigenous person is left behind when they go missing,” Jirons said in a statement. “For far too long, Native women and girls have been overlooked, their cases ignored or delayed. The Turquoise Alert System is an essential step toward rectifying that injustice and ensuring that our people receive the protection they deserve.”
California, Washington and Colorado have similar alert systems, according to the New Mexico Department of Indian Affairs. Arizona lawmakers are considering their own alert system as the brutal death of San Carlos Apache teenager Emily Pike reverberates through Native American communities.
New Mexico has 23 federally recognized tribes, including large portions of the Navajo Nation and land holdings of the Fort Sill Apache. The safety concerns of those communities were on prominent display during the 60-day legislative session that wrapped up in March.