UKIAH, CA., 5/22/25 — This Friday, locals can show their support for missing and murdered Indigenous people in Mendocino County by attending an event to raise awareness about the issue.
The MMIP Crisis Awareness and Call for Action event will include keynote speakers Al and Mark Pooley, who are of Navajo and Hopi descent. Al is the founder of the Native American Fatherhood & Families Association and Mark is a retired police detective who has dedicated his life to helping families solve MMIP cases.
While specific data on the rate of MMIP cases for Mendocino County is limited, there have been notable cases that have drawn attention in the last several years. One case that still remains unsolved is the disappearance of Wailaki woman Khadijah Britton, who went missing from Round Valley in 2018.
Others include Nicole Smith of the Manchester Band of Pomo Indians who was killed in a drive-by shooting in 2017. Her case remains unsolved. As well as Rachel Sloan of the Cahto Tribe of Laytonville Rancheria. She was found shot dead in a refrigerator along California state Highway 162 in 2013. Her murdered has yet to be identified. These are only three women – there are many more.
The awareness event is organized by the Indigenous Wellness Alliance, the Native American Fatherhood and Families Association, Northern Circle Indian Housing Authority and The Center for Human Identification.
The MMIP Crisis Awareness and Call for Action event takes place at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 23, at the Ukiah Conference Center, 200 S. School St. in Ukiah. Lunch will be provided, and there will be a T-shirt giveaway.
For more information about the event or to request an outreach table, contact Diana Billy-Elliot at (707) 234-0086.
Sarah Stierch contributed to this article.