OKMULGEE, Okla. — Following the safe return of Choctaw Nation tribal member Derek Reese to his family after several years, the Muscogee Nation is ensuring that resources are allocated to support tribal members.
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Macaylin Autaubo and Shannon Buchanan work with the Muscogee Nation’s Center for Victim Services.
2 News did a story a few months back on a billboard campaign the nation participated in, bringing awareness to their missing and murdered Indigenous people.
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Muscogee Nation making concerted effort to find missing people
Both Autaubo and Buchanan are proud that the Muscogee Lighthorse Police Department was able to locate Reese and reunite him with his family, after a tip was given to his sister, which she took to police.
“It honestly feels amazing, me and Shannon both kind of spearheaded this project together," said Autaubo. "Getting the news that Mr. Reese was found, it did make me stop, because I was at home at the time, and it made me realize, the work that we're doing is making an impact.”
WATCH: Muscogee Nation working to help find missing Indigenous people
Buchanan couldn't agree more.
“I was proud of the work we do, proud of our Light Horse police, proud of the nation," she said. “The purpose is to bring attention to that, to bring attention to the fact that when we have missing indigenous people, we don't typically receive the response or the media coverage that you know someone else may receive, and that can you know that that can really impact law enforcement investigations.”
Jason Salsman is the Press Secretary for the Muskogee Nation.
He said he knows there are a lot of questions swirling regarding Reese’s disappearance and finding, but he wants to make sure he and his family’s privacy is respected.
“Family was able to make first contact, and that was a really special moment for them to be able to have that reunion first," he said.
Meanwhile, he says the nation is making sure to use its resources to help with other cases.
“There's 28 people still on that billboard," said Salsman. "We're going to be looking for them just as hard as we did for Mr. Reese.”
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