Lansing Sun

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and other leaders lauded the appointment of Jolene Hardesty to the national Not Invisible Act Commission.

Hardesty, the missing persons clearinghouse analyst for the Michigan State Police, will use this new role in the U.S. Department of the Interior to fight the surge in missing persons, murder and trafficking of indigenous people and make suggestions to enhance intergovernmental cooperation and confirm best practices for law enforcement to provide aid to survivors and families of victims, according to a May 6 news release. Hardesty has 18 years of experience in law enforcement. 

“I am immensely honored and grateful to have been chosen for this critically important work to benefit our Native Americans,” Hardesty said in the release. “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.”

“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,” Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland said, according to the 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.”

Governor Whitmer chipped in with praise for Hardesty. 

“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 said in the release. “The work of the commission is 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.”

Native American leaders also approved.

“Jolene’s appointment to the Not Invisible Act Commission will make a real difference for indigenous communities in Michigan and across the country,” Whitney Gravelle, president of the Bay Mills Indian Community, said, according to the release. “I am grateful to Secretary Deb Haaland for appointing Jolene and for her years of advocacy to protect indigenous women everywhere. 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.”