Across the nation, people gathered on May 5, 2026, to remember missing and murdered Indigenous people. In Nome, where MMIP Awareness Day has been observed since 2019, red paper bags bearing the names of missing and murdered Indigenous people filled Old St. Joe’s Church. Each held a small electric candle, which attendees later lit and left outside overnight.
Outside, advocates carried signs reading “No more stolen sisters” and “Justice for Kelly Hunt.” Hunt, 19, of Shaktoolik, went missing in Anchorage in January and was found dead in late April.
“It’s heightened, elevated emotions,” said Deilah Johnson, whose tribe, the Village of Solomon, helps organize Nome’s annual MMIP event.
Advocates say accurate MMIP data remains difficult to track due to inconsistent reporting, jurisdictional confusion, and racial misclassification. Alaska’s active missing persons database lists 329 missing Indigenous people, though advocates believe the number is understated.
Nome’s first MMIP walk in 2019 drew six people. This year, about 200 people marched down Front Street carrying signs with the names of lost loved ones.
