National Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples Day: Local advocate highlights missing cases

FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) - Local advocates are using Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples (MMIP) Day to call attention to open cases and push for change, saying the crisis is about “names and lives” they don’t want forgotten.

In our region, several Indigenous people are still missing.

“We have to stand with courage and we have to stand with strength to say that we won’t allow this to become our new norm, and then pray for these individuals who are involved in these heinous crimes,” said Christy Goulet, advocate and Executive Director for Indigenous Legacy in Dilworth, Minnesota.

Goulet talked about local cases, like Jemini Posey, whose search efforts are still underway after she was reported missing in 2024.

Other cases include: Neveah Kingbird, who was last seen in Bemidji five years ago, and Jeremy Jourdain, who hasn’t been seen since 2016.

On MMIP day, Grand Forks police posted a long list of Indigenous people who remain missing in North Dakota and Minnesota.

They said in 2024, there were 10,248 reports of missing Indigenous people nationwide — a number that does not include those who were killed.

“This shouldn’t just be an American issue. This is a worldwide issue of fighting for women and children specifically,” Goulet added.

During the interview with Valley News Live, Goulet was teaching at a local elementary school about Indigenous culture and the history of the jingle dress tradition.

“The kids are what bring me joy … that’s what Jemini Posey would want. That’s what Savannah Greywind would want,” Goulet said. “They would want me here in the schools, loving the children, teaching the culture, and just being really proud of who I am as an Indigenous person in the world we live in today.”

She emphasized the importance of Indigenous people taking time to care for their own mental and emotional health on days like MMIP day, which can be especially painful for families with loved ones still missing.

Days after national MMIP day, a search is planned for Jemini Posey.

It starts at 8 a.m. on May 9th/10th, 2026, in Tokio, North Dakota. Volunteers are welcome, but media is not permitted on scene, per the Spirit Lake Tribal Incident Command.