L to R: Governor Stephen Roe Lewis, President Shannon Holsey, and Executive Director Larry Wright, Jr.

GILA RIVER INDIAN COMMUNITY, AZ — The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) applauds Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs's recent signing of Emily's Law, establishing the Turquoise Alert System — a mechanism designed to quickly disseminate information about missing or endangered persons 65 years of age or younger in lieu of Amber Alerts or Silver Alerts. This law is a meaningful step toward addressing the deep and persistent disparities in response and justice when people from Indian Country disappear.

The law was named in honor of 14-year-old Emily Pike of the San Carlos Apache Tribe, whose tragic disappearance and death underscore the urgency of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons crisis. Emily's Law ensures that cases like Emily's no longer fall through the cracks of existing alert systems by creating a new 'Turquoise Alert' system in the state. NCAI hopes that the State of Arizona and law enforcement agencies elsewhere will treat all cases of missing Native children seriously and use these alert systems with all urgency in times of crisis.

At the national level, the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) new 'Missing Endangered Persons' Emergency Alert System Code (MEP) will go into effect in September 2025. This regulatory change expands critical alert messages to include populations outside of Amber Alerts. While not specific to Indigenous people, the new MEP code will ensure the Wireless Emergency Alert system delivers rapid response messages to the public via television, radio, and wireless phones, including for federal Ashanti Alerts and state-enacted alerts, such as Silver Alerts and Arizona's new Turquoise Alert.

The Turquoise Alert System will further align Arizona’s system with federal efforts advocated for by NCAI. The system is a state-level reflection of the goals outlined in NCAI Resolutions #NO-23-001 and #ABQ-19-005: it recognizes the unique vulnerabilities faced by Indigenous communities, eases cross-jurisdictional cooperation between tribal, state, and local authorities, and leverages technology to alert the public in critical moments.

Emily's Law is a significant milestone in the collective effort to prevent further tragedy. “As advocates and allies, it is crucial that we remain steadfast in our commitment to advancing federal, state, and tribal collaboration in order to close existing gaps, raise awareness, and ultimately bring our missing relatives home,” says Shannon Holsey, President of the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians and Co-Chair of NCAI’s Task Force on Violence Against Women. “The implementation of Emily's Law not only serves as a crucial step towards addressing the needs of Indigenous communities but also reinforces our shared responsibility to create a more just and equitable society for all.”

The passage of Emily’s Law would not have been possible without the leadership of tribal officials like Gila River Indian Community Governor Stephen Roe Lewis, who collaborated with state lawmakers to advance this urgent and long-overdue legislation. Although Emily was not a member of his tribe, Governor Lewis is committed to protecting Indigenous people in Arizona and beyond from the systemic neglect that characterizes the response to missing person cases across Indian Country.

“We cannot allow jurisdictional gaps and systemic inaction to continue costing Native lives. Emily’s Law represents a powerful commitment to protect our children — every Indigenous child in every corner of Arizona deserves to be seen, heard, and swiftly brought home if they go missing,” said Governor Stephen Roe Lewis. “This law is a legislative victory and a moral imperative that could — and should — be replicated and implemented in every state.”

His advocacy underscores the vital role tribal leaders play in shaping policy that addresses the unique needs of Native communities. NCAI commends this example of intergovernmental partnership and urges continued collaboration to ensure no more Indigenous lives are lost due to inaction.