Supporters of Missing Man Push Tribal Police to Ask FBI For Help

Protesters say Fond du Lac police should ask for outside help; Chief says he has "full confidence" in his department.

People frustrated about the search effort for a missing man gathered outside Duluth’s FBI office Friday.

Ironically, the group was not protesting the FBI–but rather–pushing the Fond du Lac tribal police department.

Friends and supporters of 31-year-old Peter Martin say they want the tribal police department to ask for the FBI’s help in finding him.

Friday marked three weeks since the man from the Mahnomen neighborhood of the FDL reservation was reported missing.

While many people have been involved in the search, supporters say there has been a lack of urgency on the part of the tribal police department, and that the department has been unwilling to ask for outside help.

In addition to asking for help from the FBI, friends say the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension should also be asked to get involved.

Advocates say that in similar circumstances with missing and indigenous people, it hurts to have conflict between tribal police and other government agencies.

“Try to get federal authorities to step in and help with the case, as well as the Minnesota BCA,” said Jessica Gidagaakoons Smith, a family legal advocate who helped organize the protest.

“And one of my volunteers had already reached out to the Minnesota BCA, and the BCA officer told her that Fond du Lac police refused their help,” she said.

Gidagaakoons Smith said some members say they don’t feel protected by the tribal police and are afraid.

“We need to show that we are not going to back down, even though they told us to,” she said.

She said a $10,000 reward for information has also been created.

In a press release, the Fond du Lac Reservation Business Committee defended search efforts. It said the search was temporarily suspended last week at the request of the family but would resume next week.

Tribal Police Chief Mel Barney released a statement saying, “Our investigation efforts are supported by highly trained officers, many from the Fond du Lac tribal community, and I have full confidence in our agency and our investigation division to utilize all available resources, which includes outside agencies, to support locating Mr. Martin.”

The FDL Business Committee says that Thursday it activated an Emergency Operations Center to help in the search.

Martin’s sister, Linda Martin-Proulx, released a statement saying, “I’ve been able to search acres for my brother, Peter, alongside volunteers and Fond du Lac Police officers. As search efforts increase, our family and I remain assured that our tribe will continue to work through a process [that] will bring my brother home.”