Honor missing and murdered Indigenous relatives each day with new special plate
Feb. 15, 2024
Minnesota Sen. Mary Kunesh displays a mock-up of the new Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Office special license plate. Kunesh was instrumental in creating the special plate. Missing and Murdered Indigenous Day of Remembrance — which is Feb. 14 each year — honors Indigenous relatives missing from the lives of their loved ones. But they deserve more than just one day. That is why the Minnesota Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives (MMIR) Office unveiled the design of the new MMIR license plate during this year's event hosted by the Minnesota Indian Women's Sexual Assault Coalition in collaboration with many other community organizations.
“This special plate is a great way to honor our missing and murdered relatives every day," MMIR Director Juliet Rudie said. “It also demonstrates our commitment to community restorative justice with every mile we travel."
Our MMIR Office was created in 2021 to shine a light on the epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous relatives and support services aimed at keeping these communities safe in Minnesota. Our office is assisting Indigenous victims and survivors, as well as their families and communities, to make sure they have access to culturally responsive healing resources. We offer resources to those in tribal, local, state and federal law enforcement to help solve these crimes and bring justice to those missing their loved ones.
You can support MMIR's mission by purchasing the new special plate through our Driver and Vehicle Services division. The new plate is made on demand, so drivers can customize it however they like. It will cost $15.50 and require a minimum $25 annual contribution to the Gaagige-Mikwendaagoziwag Reward Account. The reward account was named in Ojibwe and means “They will be remembered forever," fitting for a program that aims to keep the memories of those relatives alive or bring them home.
We designed the license plate to reflect elements of Indigenous cultures in Minnesota. The plate features a red handprint, which represents the fight against injustice faced by Indigenous people across Minnesota. According to a 2023 Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) report, 8.7 percent of all people reported missing into the federal law enforcement database National Criminal Information Center were Indigenous. To put that number into context, Indigenous people make up just 1 percent of Minnesota's population.
The red handprint also represents the historic silencing of Indigenous voices and the dedication to hearing those voices as we move forward. The new plate also includes a ribbon skirt featuring colors sacred to Indigenous cultures.
Money in the Gaagige-Mikwendaagoziwag Reward Account, which currently has a balance of $250,000, can be used to support community led searches, as well as pay for search equipment, media outreach, prevention programs and other activities. The reward account's advisory council also considers rewards for tips that lead to an arrest or conviction in a legal case involving a missing Indigenous person or the return of the missing person.
To order license plates online or find an office to purchase them in-person, visit
drive.mn.gov.
