A forensic business is stepping in to help families in Indigenous communities find answers about missing and murdered indigenous people (MMIP). Ohkomi Forensics is a non-profit based in Montana that was launched in 2023.
Haley Omeasoo is the founder and director of the non-profit who wanted to give a voice to those impacted by the MMIP epidemic.
She said, “It definitely saddens me to see how many cases have gone unsolved to this point. We felt like there was a need for more resources.”
The effort comes at a critical time as Indigenous communities nationwide continue to spotlight disproportionate rates of violence and lack of resolution in many MMIP cases.
According to a report by the Montana Missing Indigenous Persons Task Force, Indigenous people make up 6.5% of Montana’s population, and yet they account for 30.6 % of people reported missing in 2023. Native Americans are four times more likely to be reported missing.
“If the cases have gone cold then we can definitely help gather information to try and locate those individuals. And then for individuals that have been found that are unidentified, then we can help to identify them and help figure out what may have happened to them.”
Case evaluations can be done in person or online. The operation includes field search and investigation, DNA analysis for human identification, forensic anthropology or bone analysis, and advocacy for the family.
Haley added, “We want to give a platform for these families and let their voices really be heard.”
While the results will vary by case, the evaluations will provide grieving families with a clearer path forward.
“I really do hope that we're able to solve these cases soon, even if it's, you know, one case or a few - that's one family that's able to get some closure.”
To get more information or to make an appointment, you can visit the Ohkomi Forensics website here.
