of the citizens.

>> A rally for missing and Murdered Indigenous People was held at the Capitol to bring awareness to this growing concern for the state's tribal community "Here& Now", reporter Erika Ayisi spoke with the task force on how they are trying to gather data to address the problem.

This report is in collaboration with our partners ICT, formerly Indian Country Today.

>> A day of Remembrance.

>> I am a relative of Caitlin Kelley, the indigenous young woman that was stolen from us on June 19th, 2021 and was tragically murdered.

>> For Wisconsin's missing and murdered indigenous people.

>> Today, we honor our relatives that are still out there missing.

Today, we honor our relatives that have been murdered.

Over 20 speakers gathered outside the Capitol.

>> Today, we stand together in solidarity and unity to bring justice, to bring awareness.

>> Awareness about the disproportionate number of missing and murdered indigenous people in Wisconsin's native tribes.

>> Reitz Pocan was my auntie.

Family members said.

Their loved ones names a reminder to the public that their relative is not forgotten.

>> My little brother, Sean Grinnell, was brutally murdered on the reservation and also my nephew, Cory Grinnell.

>> A single red hand symbol printed on shirts, skirts and signs signaling that a member of the indigenous community left home and never returned.

>> And had a son murdered.

One year ago.

These two boys, they were best friends.

They died together, and their killer is still out there.

>> A Milwaukee mother grieves and calls for justice.

>> Monroe.

We saw in Alex Sanchez how.

We need justice.

>> Missing and murdered indigenous people is an increasing concern affecting all of Wisconsin's native tribes.

Many of these cases go unsolved, like the murder of Andy Lemke's cousin Ray.

>> Elaine went missing when we were just 18 years old.

She had a six week old baby, Elise.

>> Shannon Holsey, president of Stockbridge-munsee Band of Mohican Indians, says addressing the issue of missing and murdered indigenous people starts by dismantling erasure towards Native Americans and respecting tribal sovereignty.

>> Accepting what sovereignty looks like, allowing tribal nations to exercise that sovereignty, and looking at cross-jurisdictional ways to share that data to make sure that we come together as collective people and understand that this is not an Meir crisis.

This is a humanitarian effort.

>> In 2020, state Attorney General Josh Kaul formed the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Task Force to help address this effort.

According to the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

There's over 4000 unsolved cases across America.

But here in Wisconsin, that exact number is difficult to track.

The task force says they're releasing a report by the end of this year, in the exact number of missing indigenous people in Wisconsin is also missing.

>> We lack resources, including just simple, like databases.

Every other police officer in the state has access to, like an NCIS database where when a person goes missing, they immediately.

That will go throughout all the police forces.

And we don't have access to that type of equipment.

That's very vital when our relatives go missing.

of the Wisconsin's Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Task Force, says their upcoming report includes a request for $3.5 million.

>> For liaison positions and why we decided that we needed to do that is because as a task force, we never anticipated families coming directly to us and needing our assistance when their relatives went missing, or for them to come to us if they wanted to look at cold cases.

>> About 80% of indigenous people live in urban areas.

Others live on reservations.

Rufus says part of their action plans for the state are collaborative efforts between county and tribal jurisdictions.

>> We really rely on our county partners to identify us correctly and to get that data back to our tribal communities, and that that system just isn't in place.

And so that's something that we are recommending.

>> Stories of Prehn.

>> Ranay Elena Turlock was my cousin.

>> And loss.

>> Mary C tomorrow.

>> We're matched with support for healing.

>> We need to hear these stories, and these stories need to be told because we need justice.

We need healing.

>> Kyle Stout, he was murdered.

>> Braxton Lee Phillips, you are never forgotten.

>> Reporting from Madison.

I'm Eric Ayisi for "Here&