An estimated 4,200 cases involving missing and murdered Indigenous people remain unsolved nationwide, according to the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs.

In 2022 alone, the National Crime Information Center logged more than 10,000 reports of missing Native Americans — figures advocates say reflect a jurisdictional maze that slows investigations and leaves families waiting for answers.

“When we talk about jurisdiction, especially in a state like New Mexico, it’s super complicated,” said Darlene Gomez, an attorney who works with families in missing and murdered indigenous people cases.

Gomez said the Navajo Nation — the largest tribe, spanning an area about the size of West Virginia — illustrates this challenge. Calls about missing people on Navajo Nation go to tribal dispatch. Depending on s

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