Initiative Lead

Desiree Kane (she/they) is a Miwok activist and journalist who collaborates with collectives, nonprofits, organizations, and individuals to organize and produce journalism and art highlighting social justice issues. She is currently creating and stewarding an Indigenous language immersion metaverse. During the COVID-19 shutdowns, Desiree co-hosted an Indigenous food-culture show for two seasons, highlighting traditional Indigenous foods and cooking techniques. She also founded the Missing Indigenous Sisters Tools Initiative (MISTI), which provides resources for families of missing Indigenous Peoples.

Desiree is also committed to providing workshops and training on anti-oppression and anti-racism to build inclusive and equitable communities that foster safer spaces. Her work has been recognized by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, where she has served on the Charlotte Advisory Board, furthering her goal of creating a more equitable world for all. She currently sits on the board of Natives in Tech, a collective of Native technologists crafting free and open source technology that empowers Native peoples.

Her dedication to social justice has not gone unnoticed. Her work and quotes can be seen in prestigious publications such as the LA Times, the Guardian, CNN, HuffPost, and more. She continues to use her platform to create journalism and media that raise awareness about social justice issues Indigenous communities face.

Natives in Tech

MISTI is made possible with volunteer community support, tech support, and fiscal agency from Natives In Tech in addition to the many, many hours of volunteer time gifted by Native Peoples impacted by these interlocking crises.

National Indigenous Women's Resource Center

The National Indigenous Women's Resource Center has supported the MISTI project for many years, hosting the original pdf and sharing this vital resource with families and advocates via their Resources and Pocket Guide. With their gracious encouragement and uplifting of the v.1 toolkit, MISTI has been able to become what it is today.

InfoEpi Lab

The InfoEpi Lab is collaborating with the MISTI project and Natives in Tech to help Indigenous communities and families leverage powerful OSINT tools.

The American Psychological Association

Extending visibility and offering the MISTI Toolkit to the National public as part of their advocacy materials has been an honor to receive from the APA Committee on Women in Psychology.

The National Sexual Violence Resource Center

Inclusion of the MISTI Toolkit in the National Survivor and Domestic Violence Resources offering has been a tremendous support for the Initiative that has opened up conversations that would otherwise be impossible.