904 Names We Cannot Forget

My heart is heavy.

As of today, the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) lists 904 cases involving American Indian and Alaska Native people. Of those, 266 are women. Each entry is a person with a family, a community, a future that was interrupted. These are not numbers to me—they’re names I say out loud, candles I light, folders I refuse to close.

Today, I want to honor one of those names: Lisa Pearl Briseno.

Lisa Pearl Briseno: Still Missing, Still Loved

Lisa was 28 when she disappeared from Portland, Oregon in late August 1997. She is a citizen of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs—a bright student who excelled at Madras High School, a young woman who interned in Washington, D.C., and a creative spirit who loved photography and poetry. She was a granddaughter and a cousin in a family that has shouldered unimaginable grief: a grandmother murdered in 1957, a cousin killed in a hit-and-run in 2009. And still, the Briseno family keeps going. Still, they hope.

Lisa was last seen leaving with her boyfriend in a white 1983 BMW. The car was later recovered. Beyond that, there’s painfully little publicly available information. Some relatives have said the boyfriend refused a polygraph; police have not confirmed it. What we do know is this: Lisa never came home. Her NamUs entry is MP17453, and DNA is available for comparison. Someone out there knows why her voice went quiet.

Description at the time: Black hair, brown eyes. She was reportedly wearing a cream-colored blouse and blue, flowered pants the day she vanished.

If you know anything about the disappearance of Lisa Pearl Briseno—no matter how small it seems—please contact the Portland Police Bureau at 503-823-0446 or email missing@portlandoregon.gov. A single memory, receipt, photo, or name can be the thread that finally unravels years of silence.

Why This Matters (And Why It Should Break Your Heart Too)

When we talk about the crisis facing Indigenous communities, we are talking about real people like Lisa and families like hers. We are talking about communities who have had to become their own investigators, archivists, and advocates—keeping timelines, making flyers, and reminding the rest of us not to look away.

And we’re talking about a documented pattern of violence that too often goes unreported, uninvestigated, or unsolved. Behind every statistic is a mother, a sister, a daughter, a friend. Behind the number 266 is a choir of voices we should have heard more loudly, sooner, and with more care.

What You Can Do Right Now

• Share Lisa’s name and photo with a short note about her case. Personal posts move people more than generic shares.
• Search your memory. If you were in or around Portland in August 1997, think about the places you went, the people you knew, the cars you noticed.
• Support Indigenous-led groups doing on-the-ground advocacy, family support, and case documentation.
• Check NamUs for your region. Learn the names. Say them. It changes how you see your own community.
• Send tips directly to investigators for Lisa’s case: Portland Police Bureau, 503-823-0446 or missing@portlandoregon.gov.

For state resources in Oregon, visit the Oregon State Police Missing Children & Adults Clearinghouse. For national case listings and guidance, see NamUs (The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System).

A Promise

I can’t stop thinking about the number 904—and the 266 women within it. I will keep telling these stories with care and persistence. I’ll keep asking hard questions and inviting families to share their loved ones’ lives in their own words. We honor people best when we see them as whole—beyond a case file, beyond a date.

If you are family, a friend, or a community member of someone missing or unsolved, reach out to me. I will listen. I will help tell your story with respect. And together, we will keep pushing for answers.

With hope and resolve,
LaDonna Humphrey

Case Contact (Lisa Pearl Briseno)

• Agency: Portland Police Bureau
• Phone: 503-823-0446
• Email: missing@portlandoregon.gov
• NamUs: Case #MP17453 (DNA available)