Knudsen Testifies About MMIP Crisis
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen stressed the importance of strengthening public safety in tribal communities during testimony in front of the U.S. House of Representatives’ committee on the judiciary last week.
Knudsen, a former county attorney in Roosevelt County, attempted to educate representatives about the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons crisis.
In his testimony, Knudson pointed out that indigenous persons account for 31 percent of Montana’s missing persons each year but are only about 6 percent of the state’s population.
“Montana is also home to eight federally recognized tribes, which creates challenging jurisdictional issues for us as our state battles this issue,” Knudsen wrote. “It’s a common misconception that only women are going missing. In 2025, 48 percent of all people reported missing in Montana were male and 52 percent were female. In the indigenous community, the data starts to skew, but there is still a large percentage of males that are reported missing. Last year, 40 percent of the indigenous persons that went missing were males. Our current messaging that it’s only a problem for women leaves a large population of men and boys effectively ignored and left out of the conversation.”
The Culbertson native reported that there are 41 indigenous persons currently missing in Montana including 27 that have been missing for more than 1a year.
He noted that the 2025 Montana Legislature passed a resolution urging Congress to fully fund public safety and law enforcement in Indian Country. “Which brings me to why I am here today: let’s work together to solve this problem.”
Knudsen explained that his office has no jurisdiction on tribal lands. “The Montana Legislature can pass all the bills they want, but without action from Congress, we will never see meaningful change. You have the power to give tribes the authority they need by removing unnecessary and confusing jurisdictional red tape,” Knudsen wrote. “You can also give states some authority to help. My agents and law enforcement officers can’t do anything on tribal lands unless they are asked by a federal agency. That results in wasted time and wasted resources in some cases.”
Positive actions have included that one of the Division of Criminal Investigations agents has been cross deputized federally and will have the authority to lend more immediate support to help solve murders and find missing persons.
Also, a Federal Bureau of Investigations field offi ce has been opened in Billings.
Knudsen explained the lack of FBI agents has been a hurdle in Montana.
“The missing and murdered Indigenous persons crisis has been plaguing our tribal communities for generations,” Knudsen wrote. “I’m thankful to the Trump Administration for taking the issue seriously, and to this committee for bringing this discussion to the table today as you continue to explore ways Congress can help solve the problem.”
