Northwest Wayne News

Jolene Hardesty was recently appointed to a federal commission designed to combat the epidemic of missing, murdered, and trafficked Indigenous people.

Hardesty was named to the national Not Invisible Act Commission in May. She has worked as a Missing Children’s Clearinghouse analyst for the Michigan State Police (MSP) since 2017.

The new U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) commission will "make recommendations to improve intergovernmental coordination and establish best practices for law enforcement to offer resources to survivors and families of victims," according to a press release from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's (D-Mich.) office.

"I am thrilled that Jolene, a proud Michigander and dedicated public servant with the Michigan State Police, has been appointed to the national Not Invisible Act Commission," Whitmer (D-Mich.) said in the press release.

Whitmer was the target of a kidnapping attempt before the general elections in November 2020 that was stopped by the FBI, according to ABC News. She described the commission's work as "critical to tackling the ongoing crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous people."

"Jolene will bring her extensive experience collaborating with local, state, and federal law enforcement to find and recover missing children to her new role on the commission," Whitmer said.

Hardesty's appointment to the commission was revealed in the press release, which was issued the day after Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day.

Hardesty's law enforcement career spans 18 years; she started working as a police dispatcher and was later promoted to an analyst position. In that capacity, she worked with the state’s Law Enforcement Information Network (LEIN). Hardesty's volunteer work with the 2011 Missing in Michigan Day helped her develop "a passion for missing children," according to the press release.

"I am immensely honored and grateful to have been chosen for this critically important work to benefit our Native Americans," Hardesty said. "Networking and coordination are critical tools needed to aid in successfully finding and recovering missing children and crime victims, especially on tribal lands. I look forward to working with new partners throughout our state, the nation, and internationally to help address this issue."

The Not Invisible Act Joint Commission on Reducing Violent Crime Against Indians was created by an act of Congress in 2019, according to the Federal Register. The act is intended to increase intergovernmental coordination to help identify and combat violent crime on the land of tribal nations and against its members.

"Everyone deserves to feel safe in their community, but a lack of urgency, transparency, and coordination have hampered our country's efforts to combat violence against American Indians and Alaska Natives," Deb Haaland, Secretary of the Interior, said in the press release. "As we work with the Department of Justice to prioritize the national crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous peoples, the Not Invisible Act Commission will help address its underlying roots by ensuring the voices of those impacted by violence against Native people are included in our quest to implement solutions."

Hardesty's appointment to the commission "will make a real difference for Indigenous communities in Michigan and across the country," Bay Mills Indian Community President Whitney Gravelle said in the press release.

"I am grateful to Secretary Deb Haaland for appointing Jolene and for her years of advocacy to protect Indigenous women everywhere," Gravelle said. "Jolene carries critical expertise regarding Amber alert notification systems and will be extremely valuable in the development of a national notification system for missing and murdered Indigenous peoples. The commission, thanks to the experts like Jolene who serve on it, will offer tangible recommendations to improve intergovernmental coordination and save lives."