In the spring of 2024, I collaborated with a team of 14 undergraduate and one graduate student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's College of Journalism and Mass Communications to investigate the issue of missing women from marginalized communities in Nebraska.
Our team conducted over 100 interviews with lawmakers, experts, researchers, family members of victims, and survivors of domestic violence and sex trafficking. We meticulously reviewed extensive research materials, including papers, articles, statistics, and legislative documents, and filed numerous public records requests, facing denials and challenges in securing interviews with public officials.
As part of my role, I focused on the findings of a 2020 statewide report addressing the challenges faced by missing Indigenous individuals in Nebraska. Four years later, my investigation revealed that few recommendations from that report had been implemented, and the number of reported cases of missing Indigenous people had risen from 23 in 2020 to 43 in 2024. My work has been recognized and republished by Indian Country Today and the Flatwater Free Press.
