Arizona creates 'turquoise alert system' for missing Indigenous people
“Emily’s Law,” named for a Native American teen who was found dead in the state, highlights the disproportionate rates of disappearance and death Indigenous people face.
Arizona will launch an alert system for missing Indigenous people, becoming the latest state to do so in recent weeks to address a long-standing crisis for the Native American community, which faces disproportionately high rates of disappearances and deaths.
Arizona’s bill, signed Tuesday by Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) after it received unanimous support from state lawmakers in both chambers, allows state law enforcement agencies to issue an emergency alert when a person under the age of 65 goes missing, including if they are a member of a federally recognized tribe.
It is known as “Emily’s Law” in honor of Emily Pike, an Indigenous teenager who disappeared in January and was later found dead in a tragedy that rattled the Arizona community.
Arizona is one of at least three states that have passed similar alert system bills over the last two months to urgently highlight cases of missing Native Americans. The bills seek to address a catastrophic problem for Indigenous people nationwide, whose cases often go unnoticed.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/05/14/arizona-emilys-law-indigenous-missing/