The crisis of violence and abuse in South Dakota’s tribal communities has long been a priority for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and as Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Awareness Month draws to a close, the office is reaffirming its commitment to addressing this issue with the urgency it demands.
In the last year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has taken significant steps to address the high rates of violence experienced by Native Americans living in reservations in South Dakota. This includes securing additional resources for Indian country prosecutors, including an MMIP AUSA located in Pierre and serving the Great Plains Region. The office has also resolved previously unsolved cases, including the 1992 murder of a minor victim in Roberts County.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregg Peterman served as a Department of Justice representative on the Not Invisible Act Commission, which held seven in-person hearings and one national virtual hearing. The Commission heard from 260 witnesses who shared their suffering and hope, expertise, experiences, and recommendations. In November 2023, the Commission published a report detailing their findings and including hundreds of recommendations to the Departments of Justice and Interior.
U.S. Attorney Ramsdell participated in and led national conversations about the Department of Justice’s response to the report, including at the White House Tribal Nations Summit in December 2023. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also engaged in regular outreach to tribal communities to address MMIP issues and other public safety concerns, including at tribal council meetings, school assemblies, tribal law enforcement trainings, tribally organized conferences, and community forums.
Most recently, on May 14, 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office hosted a Tribal MMIP Summit in Pierre, SD, to introduce tribal leaders to the concept of Tribal Community Response Plans (TCRP). Leadership from all nine South Dakota Tribes were invited to the Summit, where participants heard presentations from federal and state law enforcement partners, including the FBI, U.S. Marshal’s Service, Social Security Administration, and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation.
The Summit also included presentations from members of the Fort Peck Tribes, including Fort Peck’s chief tribal judge, lead criminal investigator, and Chief of Police, who jointly discussed the challenges and advantages to developing a TCRP and other opportunities for cross-jurisdictional collaboration with state and federal partners. Representatives from the National Criminal Justice Training Center of Fox Valley Technical College were also in attendance to discuss training and technical assistance available to Tribes, including resources to assist with the development of TCRPs.
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Key Facts
- State: South Dakota
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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