ST. PAUL — A nationally respected advocate and coalition-builder with deep ties to Minnesota’s Indigenous communities, Guadalupe Lopez began July 30 as the new director of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s (DPS) Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives (MMIR) Office. Lopez brings more than 25 years of leadership experience in addressing domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking and the epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous relatives to the MMIR Office.

Lopez’s combination of grassroots experience and national-level leadership will help ensure that the MMIR Office stays grounded in the voice of the community while continuing to forge a new path forward for this first-of-its-kind office, said DPS Commissioner Bob Jacobson.

“Director Lopez has walked with impacted families and built strong relationships with law enforcement,” Jacobson said. “I have no doubt she will lead with the same clarity, compassion and strength that have defined her career.”

Before being appointed as the MMIR director, Lopez served for four years as the executive director for Violence Free Minnesota, the statewide coalition to end relationship abuse. During her tenure, she led a coalition of more than 90 member programs and built collaborations that were rooted in data and centered the voices of community and victims. Lopez, an enrolled member of Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, has also seen the complex realities facing Indigenous communities and communities of color firsthand.

“Ending violence and all forms of oppression is more than a job to me,” Lopez said. “It’s about the survival of my people, my children and our collective future generations. It is a lifelong journey and it’s a journey that aligns with the work that the MMIR Office is doing.”

Lopez helped launch the first MMIR march in the Twin Cities Metro Area and has worked with dozens of Tribal nations to improve victim services and advance justice. Her work on the “Garden of Truth: The Prostitution and Trafficking of Native Women in Minnesota” report became a landmark in elevating Indigenous voices in conversations about prostitution and trafficking in Minnesota.

“Director Lopez leads from the heart. She doesn't just understand MMIR, she feels it's impact deeply,” said DPS Tribal Relations Director Juliet Rudie. “This office was established to challenge the big picture and Guadalupe is exactly the leader we need right know to change outcomes for our relatives.”

The creation of the MMIR Office was signed into law by Gov. Tim Walz in 2021 and is the first office of its kind in the country. It was created to address and prevent the disproportionate rates of violence, disappearance and murder impacting Indigenous relatives in Minnesota. 

The MMIR Office is housed under DPS’ Office of Justice Programs.

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By the numbers

According to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Missing Persons Clearinghouse data, 716 Indigenous persons went missing in Minnesota last year. Of those, 57 percent were women. 

Indigenous women make up less than 1 percent of Minnesota’s population, but in 2024 they accounted for 10 percent of all missing females reported in the state.

Murder is the third leading cause of death for Indigenous women and girls, according to the Centers for Disease Control. In some communities outside of Minnesota, Indigenous women experience a murder rate 10 times higher than the national average according to the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center.

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About the Minnesota Department of Public Safety

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s more than 2,400 employees operate programs in the areas of law enforcement, crime victim assistance, traffic safety, alcohol and gambling, emergency communications, fire safety, pipeline safety, driver licensing, vehicle registration and emergency management. DPS activity is anchored by three core principles: education, enforcement and prevention.
 

About the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Office
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety's Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives (MMIR) Office strives to reduce and end violence against all Indigenous people in Minnesota. ​ The office is housed in the Office of Justice Programs.