Downriver Today

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-Mich.) celebrated the appointment of Jolene Hardesty to the national Not Invisible Act Commission.

Hardesty is a Missing Children’s Clearinghouse analyst for the Michigan State Police.

“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 a press 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.”

The new U.S. Department of Interior commission will zero in on the growing epidemic of missing persons, according to the press release. It will address the murder and trafficking of Indigenous people, as well as offer recommendations to improve coordination between government agencies and set up best practices for authorities to provide aid to survivors and the families of victims. 

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

Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland said in the press release that it is important for people to feel safe in their communities. But, a lack of transparency or sense of urgency has slowed efforts to curb violence against American Indians and Alaska’s native population. 

“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,” Haaland said in the press release.

Whitney Gravelle, president of the Bay Mills Indian Community, said that Hardesty’s appointment to the commission can “make a real difference” for Indigenous populations in Michigan and across the nation. 

“I am grateful to Sec. Deb Haaland for appointing Jolene and for her years of advocacy to protect Indigenous women everywhere,” Gravelle said in the press release. “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.”

Hardesty is an 18-year law enforcement veteran; she joined the Michigan State Police in 2017, according to the press release. She started her law enforcement career as a dispatcher.