KLAMATH, Del Norte County, California – Julia Oliveira has taken on the challenging role of being the first law enforcement officer in California to be exclusively dedicated to investigating cases involving missing and murdered Indigenous people. Working for the Yurok Tribe, she covers a vast area stretching through the rural Humboldt and Del Norte counties of Northern California.
As an Indigenous person herself, originally from Oklahoma, Oliveira focuses on cold cases – unsolved killings and disappearances – on the Yurok Tribe’s vast reservation. The tribe has hired and equipped a small team of prosecutors and investigators in recent years, combining efforts with the U.S. Marshals Service to address this longstanding issue.
Indigenous people, particularly women, are disproportionately affected by violent crime, with California being home to the largest Indigenous population in the United States. A 2020 study revealed 105 cases of missing and slain Indigenous people in Northern California alone, shedding light on what tribal leaders and officials have described as an epidemic.
Oliveira’s work is crucial in bringing fresh eyes to old cases and promoting a new approach to solving them. By gathering data and establishing a tribal prosecutor’s office, the Yurok Tribe is determined to address the underreporting and lack of visibility around these cases.
The partnership between the Yurok Tribe and the U.S. Marshals Service aims to build capacity for the tribe to independently pursue these cases and offers access to expertise in federal law enforcement. Oliveira’s dedication to her role, spending most of her days in the field, exemplifies the commitment to finding resolution for the families of the victims, despite the challenges posed by the remote and rural nature of the reservation.
The efforts of Oliveira and the Yurok Tribe highlight the urgency and importance of addressing the long-standing issue of missing and murdered Indigenous people, as they strive to bring justice and closure to the affected families and communities. The partnership between the tribe and the Marshals Service presents an opportunity to expand the reach of these investigations and find viable solutions to this pressing issue.