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The missing and murdered indigenous people movement, aimed at raising awareness of the high rates of missing Native Americans, garnered national media attention in 2019.

In Montana, the state saw changes to law and a focused effort toward collecting better data and better understanding the longtime problem.

Montana's delegation in Washington, D.C., brought the issue to light on the Senate and House floor, and a task force in the state has continued to work on recommendations of how Montana could track and curb the number of Native people who are killed or who disappear.

And in the state's largest towns, from Billings to Missoula, crowds took to the streets, wearing red and marching in solidarity.

But, as attention has turned to the COVID-19 pandemic, MMIP advocates fear they have lost momentum for their cause.

Shifting focus

In 2019 Montana took steps to recognize that Native people face a higher risk of going missing or murdered than any other demographic in the state.

Native Americans make up about 6% of Montana's population, but consistently account for more than 27% of all statewide missing person's cases, according to data from the Montana Department of Justice.