The Ashlynne Mike Amber Alert in Indian Country Act is named in honor of Ashlynne Mike, an 11-year-old girl from the Navajo Nation who was abducted and killed in 2016. Photo by https://www.indianz.com/News/2018/03/29/cronkite-news-navajo-parents-turn-loss-o.aspTristan Ettleman / Cronkite News

Law | National

Tribes hear from Navajo mother at AMBER Alert in Indian Country Symposium

Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Pamela Foster, the mother of a Navajo Nation girl who was kidnapped and murdered on the reservation, shared her story at the National AMBER Alert in Indian Country Symposium on Tuesday.

Ashlynne Mike went missing near Shiprock, on the New Mexico portion of the reservation, in May 2016. Navajo authorities weren't able to quickly disseminate information about her abduction because the tribe doesn't have an AMBER Alert system of its own. The 11-year-old girl was later found dead.

“I want you to know there was nothing worse than finding out there were no Amber Alert systems on the reservation at the time when we needed it most. No roadway digital signs, no text alerts,” Foster said at the symposium in Albuquerque, The Associated Press reported.

Pamela Foster discusses grassroots efforts in #MMIW movement at Indian Country AMBER Alert Symposium in #NM. The Ashlynne Mike AMBER Alert In Indian Country Act is named in memory of her daughter. pic.twitter.com/TCtZJ93F0z
— Antonia Gonzales (@antoniajen14) July 30, 2019

Congress responded to the situation by passing S.772, the Ashlynne Mike AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act. The measure, which was signed into law by President Donald Trump on April 13, 2018, ensures that tribes can obtain federal AMBER Alert grants to implement emergency notification systems on their homelands.

“Each minute not searching is wasted time, and that is what we faced. We need to bring light into the barriers that hinder our communities," Foster said on Tuesday, The Albuquerque Journal reported. "We need to make changes to keep our children safe. We need to stop putting things off and waiting, because that usually ends up as never.”

Tom Begaye, Jr., a Navajo citizen, subsequently admitted he kidnapped, sexually assaulted and murdered Ashlynne. He was sentenced to life in prison but is now seeking to change a charge of first-degree murder to something lesser, according to news reports.

“She should still be alive right now, enjoying life and dreaming about her future,” Foster said of her daughter at the symposium, The Journal reported. In May, the Department of Justice delivered its Implementation of the Ashlynne Mike AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act of 2018 report to Congress. The results are based on a survey of 100 tribes in 26 states.

According to the report, only 25 tribes said they have a system for disseminating information about child abductions. However, none of the systems are specific to AMBER Alert and none are coordinated with state or regional AMBER Alert programs.

"Seventy-five tribes reported they did have an emergency plan or checklist to be used in the event of a child abduction," the report stated.

The National AMBER Alert in Indian Country Symposium, which is being hosted by the Pueblo of Laguna, concludes on Wednesday. To learn more about implementing AMBER Alert in Indian Country, visit amber-ic.org.