Navajos back bill on kidnap alerts

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — A panel of lawmakers on the nation’s largest American Indian reservation is throwing its support behind federal legislation that would expand the Amber Alert child abduction emergency notification system to tribes across the U.S.

One of the standing legislative committees on the Navajo Nation last week voted in favor of a measure that supports the congressional legislation.

The legislation is in response to the 2016 deadly abduction of Ashlynne Mike, 11, on the Navajo Nation.

The high-profile case raised questions about gaps in communication and coordination between tribal and neighboring law enforcement.

Tribal members have testified about the need for the Navajo Nation to establish its own comprehensive system to remain accountable and responsible for the protection of Navajo children, rather than relying on state entities.