SAN CARLOS — Following the recent discovery of the body of an indigenous woman on the side of a road, San Carlos Apache Tribal Chairman Terry Rambler is reminding everyone that May is Missing or Murdered Members Month.
The Tribal Council passed the designation in July 2024.
In a prepared statement, Rambler said the designation offers “a time in which the Tribe shall mourn those murdered and remember those missing, a time to stand with the families who have lost a piece of their soul to this crisis. A time to honor those members of the Tribe who have summoned the courage to shine light on this tragedy, and a time to work together to resolve unanswered questions and build a future for everyone based on safety, security and self-determination.”
The Bureau of Indian Affairs reports that a 2016 study by the National Institute of Justice found more than four in five American Indian and Alaska Native women (84.3 percent) have experienced violence in their lifetime, including 56.1 percent who have experienced sexual violence.
The Native American woman’s remains were first discovered Feb. 14, on the side of Forest Service Road 355, off U.S. Highway 60 near milepost 277.
The Gila County Sheriff’s Office is leading the investigation, as the body was found off the reservation.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Bureau of Indian Affairs special agent at 505-917-7830, San Carlos Apache Police at 928-475-1755, or Gila County Sheriff’s Office at 928-200-2352.
