In 2018, Ashley Johnson-Barr was taken from her family, friends, community, and Tribe. March 12th is her day and AVCP joins people around the state in taking the day to remember and honor her life. Our children are precious, and we all must work together to protect them.
In memory of Ashley and too many other loved ones, AVCP is engaged with the Not Invisible Act Commission which is holding hearings from April 25th through 27th in Anchorage. The Not Invisible Act works to improve federal and tribal coordination on the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) crisis. “The Commission needs to hear from us who have been and continue to be deeply impacted by this crisis. AVCP hopes that this work will result in real progress for our families, communities, and loved ones.” Vivian Korthuis, AVCP’s CEO and one of the Alaska Native Representatives on the Commission. The hearings in April are an important opportunity for us to share our stories, suggestions, and concerns with the commission. Specifically, hearings will focus on the following areas:
- Law Enforcement & Investigative Resources – Identifying and responding to MMIP and Human Trafficking (HT)
- Reporting and Collecting Data on MMIP and HT
- Recruitment & Retention of Tribal and BIA Law Enforcement
- Coordinating resources on Criminal Jurisdiction, Prosecution, and Information Sharing on MMIP and HT Investigations
- Victim and Family Services and Programs
- Necessary Legislative or Administrative Changes
AVCP encourages everyone to attend these hearings. Share your stories, experiences, and ideas. We are the experts in our region, communities, and families. It is vital that the commission hears from all of us to ensure that the outcomes of the commission understand the unique problems facing our communities in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Region. Please join us in speaking up!
Ashley’s favorite color was purple, and we join her community and family in wearing this color as we remember her. Thank you for joining us in remembering Ashley today.
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For additional information, please contact AVCP Communications Director, Gage Hoffman at 907-543-7308 or email at ghoffman@avcp.org
AVCP is a regional nonprofit tribal consortium comprised of the 56 federally recognized tribes of the YK Delta. The geographic boundaries of AVCP extend from the Yukon River Village of Russian Mission downstream to the Bering Sea coast, north up through Kotlik and south along the coastline to Platinum and then extending up the Kuskokwim River to Stony River, including Lime Village on the Stony River tributary. The area encompasses approximately 6.5 million acres, or 55,000 square miles, in Western Alaska.