Photo of young woman smiling (Sa'Wade Birdinground)

A combined $10,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the discovery of 13-year-old Sa’Wade Birdinground, last seen at her grandparents’ home on the Crow Indian Reservation in Garryowen, Montana, October 6, 2024. The FBI’s Salt Lake City Field Office offered a $5,000 award that was matched by the executive branch of the Crow Tribe, of which Birdinground is a member. After announcing the reward this summer, people in the community held a walk and presentation of red balloons at Little Big Horn College to symbolize collective hope and continued efforts to bring Birdinground home. “For eight months, Sa’wade’s family has had to know life without her,” said FBI special agent Mehtab Syed at a press conference. “Sa’Wade is not forgotten. We’re doing anything in our power to bring her home.” A tip line has opened exclusively for information on the case. “No tip is too small or insignificant,” Syed said.

Collage of missing Indigenous Indian Country women and girls

Saying that there is “still so much more to do,” U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland vowed to continue prioritizing efforts to combat the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) crisis. Initiatives include the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) MMIP Regional Outreach Program which places attorneys and coordinators in regions across the U.S. to help prevent and respond in MMIP cases. And during a visit to the Crow Indian Reservation in Montana, Garland announced that, based on the Not Invisible Act Commission’s recommendations, DOJ is working to improve funding, enhance research to better trace underlying causes, and develop guidance on engaging the public when someone is reported missing. “Tribal communities deserve safety, and they deserve justice,” Garland said in highlighting some of the efforts on National Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day in May. “This day challenges all of us at the Justice Department to double down on our efforts, and be true partners with Tribal communities.”