Latest news with #BureauofIndianAffairs
6 days ago
- Politics
South Dakota tribe declares state of emergency over crime
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- The Rosebud Sioux Tribe in South Dakota has declared a public safety state of emergency on its reservation, asking for more law enforcement resources from the federal government. It's the tribe's third emergency declaration in six years as members contend with methamphetamine and other illicit drug use, trafficking and gun violence on the Rosebud Indian Reservation. The tribe previously declared states of emergency in 2019 and 2024. Kathleen Wooden Knife, president of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, wrote in the declaration on Tuesday that the emergency is due to 'pervasive law and order and public health issues ... creating threats to public safety, the health and welfare of the general public.' The declaration asked for increased patrol and investigative support from federal agencies, cooperation from the 12 communities on the reservation and coordination between the tribe and federal government. Law enforcement is stretched thin on many reservations in the U.S., leading some tribes to sue the federal government. In a lawsuit the Oglala Sioux tribe filed against the Bureau of Indian Affairs, a federal judge ruled that the U.S. government is obligated by treaty to support law enforcement on the Pine Ridge Reservation. The Rosebud Indian Reservation has a dozen law enforcement officers for an area that stretches nearly 1 million acres (404,686 hectares) across five counties, said Lewis Good Voice Eagle, chief of staff to Wooden Knife. Low staffing is partially due to 2016 budget cuts, as well as difficulty retaining officers who don't receive the same benefits as they would working elsewhere. After previous emergency declarations, the reservation received help from the U.S. Attorney's Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Interior, though it was not enough to solve the problems, Good Voice Eagle said. 'With the shortage of law enforcement and the shortage of juris doctorate barred attorneys, it has really created another nightmare on the Rosebud Indian Reservation,' he said. Crime on South Dakota's nine Native American reservations has been a longstanding issue and the subject of tense relations with former South Dakota governor and current Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. The nine tribes in the state banned her from tribal lands last year for saying publicly that tribal leaders were catering to drug cartels on the reservations.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Key reports addressing violence against Indigenous women are gone from federal sites
The Department of Justice website has removed at least two key reports about violence against Indigenous people, including one prompted by legislation signed by President Donald Trump in his first term, as many groups that work to combat intimate partner violence worry about the future of federal funding. The Bureau of Indian Affairs did not respond to requests for comment about the administration's commitment to combating violence ahead of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women's Day of Awareness, designed to draw attention to the disproportionate rates of violence against Indigenous women. May 5 is a day of mourning and action for the Indigenous people who have been murdered or remain missing. Many cases remain unsolved, leaving justice out of reach for families of victims. The day has traditionally focused on the crisis of violence against Native American women, girls and two-spirit people, but in recent years has expanded to acknowledge heightened rates of violence across all genders. The date marks the birthday of Hanna Harris, a citizen of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe who was sexually assaulted and murdered in 2013. Her family was originally brushed off by law enforcement when they reported her missing. In 2018, the Montana legislature passed a law bearing Harris's name that would make it easier for jurisdictional collaboration in missing persons cases. Last month, a Trump administration official touted the president's commitment to delivering justice to Native Americans. The last eight years have seen bipartisan support for legislation aimed at addressing the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous people, and both Trump and President Joe Biden signed executive orders specifically on this issue. A widely cited 2016 study funded by the National Institute of Justice showing that Native American women were more likely than White women to experience a slew of different types of violence is no longer accessible. The announcement summarizing the study has been removed from the Department of Justice's website and now redirects to the National Institute of Justice's home page. The Internet Archive shows the page has been inaccessible since at least February 1. President Trump signed the Not Invisible Act in 2020 to increase federal coordination between agencies to better address violence against Native Americans. The final report of the commission created by the law is no longer available on the Department of Justice's website. The Huffington Post reported the missing link on February 18. While Trump signed the Not Invisible Act into law, much of the work was undertaken during the Biden administration. Deb Haaland, the first Indigenous member of a presidential Cabinet, oversaw its implementation during the Biden administration. The removed report, a copy of which is available via the National Indian Women's Resource Center, included recommendations for law enforcement, victims services and data tracking in order to better tackle cases of missing or murdered Indigenous people. The documents disappeared after Trump signed executive orders eradicating what he terms 'gender ideology' in the federal government and removing funding of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that he characterized as 'illegal and immoral discrimination programs.' When asked about the 2016 report, an official from the Department of Justice said some pages may be unavailable as the Office of Justice Programs 'is currently reviewing its websites and materials in accordance with recent Executive Orders and related guidance.' Taking down these resources pushes back against assurances by Edward Heartney, the U.S. counselor on economic and social affairs to the United Nations, at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues on April 21. During a panel on the global rights of Indigenous women, Heartney said the United States is 'committed to promoting the rights and well-being of Indigenous women and girls.' He called 'economic empowerment' the 'cornerstone' of the Trump administration's support. On the topic of violence, Heartney cited Trump's support of Operation Not Forgotten, an initiative launched in 2023 to provide Federal Bureau of Investigation support to field offices with large tribal communities. The resources are specifically focused on addressing unsolved cases of missing and murdered Indigenous people. Heartney's remarks were met with silence, as reported by High Country News, and he slipped out of the panel after delivering them. There are many avenues to address the missing and murdered Indigenous people crisis. Provisions in the 2022 reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act gave tribal authorities greater latitude to pursue justice against non-tribal perpetrators. Nonprofits focused on providing services to victims of domestic violence are necessary to support victims seeking to escape violence in their homes. The Office on Violence Against Women at the Department of Justice was created to allocate funding provided by the Violence Against Women Act, first passed in 1994. On February 6, notices of funding opportunities for 2025 were taken down and have not been restored in the nearly three months since. One of the funding opportunities removed was for the Tribal Governments Program, which in fiscal 2024 distributed over $45 million to 48 grantees. The original grant application for 2025 was due on April 10. The 19th reached out to numerous organizations focused on supporting Indigenous survivors of domestic violence to ask about how they are navigating challenges with federal funding. All either did not respond to requests for comment or declined to speak on the record. Domestic violence services remain operational throughout the United States. Confidential, anonymous help is available 24/7 through the National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233) and The StrongHearts Native Helpline (1-844-762-8483). The post Key reports addressing violence against Indigenous women are gone from federal sites appeared first on The 19th. News that represents you, in your inbox every weekday. Subscribe to our free, daily newsletter.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Yahoo
Michigan leaders call attention to the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous people
March for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples in Grand Rapids, Michigan on May 3, 2024. (Photo: Anna Liz Nichols) Monday is Murdered and Missing Indigenous Persons Day and Michigan leaders and agencies are calling for awareness for the crisis of Indigenous communities being disproportionately affected by violence and their cases being historically overlooked. The Bureau of Indian Affairs estimates that around 4,200 missing and murdered Indigenous peoples cases are currently unsolved as law enforcement agencies are not responding effectively or urgently to violence faced by the indigenous and culturally competent resources are scarce. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX And while Michigan made strides last legislative session to expand funding for resources for indigenous violence victims and connecting indigenous stakeholders to lawmakers, leaders in Michigan must holdfast to the commitment to end the crisis of violence, Melissa Pope, chief judge of the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi Tribal Court, chief justice of the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians Tribal Court and member of the Michigan Domestic and Sexual Violence Prevention and Treatment Board said in a statement on Friday. 'In addition to the full enactment of the laws addressing this crisis, we must commit the resources necessary for immediate and ongoing searches when Indigenous People go missing until they are found,' Pope said. 'We must also commit the resources to provide safety to victims while offering culturally honoring services to heal the trauma of survivors, support the families of the missing, and honor those who have been murdered while supporting the loved ones whose lives will be forever changed. Of crucial importance is the prosecution of those who murder and commit violence against Indigenous People. It is only through these combined efforts that Indigenous People will be safe from violence.' The majority of indigenous people will experience violence in their life, with the National Institute of Justice reporting that 83% of men and women in the community will experience violence in their lifetime, a rate 52% higher than the general population. And women and girls are almost twice as likely to experience sexual violence than their white, non-Hispanic counterparts. Michigan is home to 12 federally recognized tribes and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer posted a video on 'X' Monday calling violence against indigenous Michiganders unacceptable, and applauding the Michigan Attorney General's Office for creating a Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Task Force late last year to investigate long-overlooked cases. 'We all need to do more to raise awareness and pursue justice. Since taking office, I've been committed to working closely with tribal governments so we can address historic traumas and develop specific policies and protocols to investigate and reduce all incidents of violence against indigenous women and girls,' Whitmer said. 'The bottom line is, no one should live in fear, and every victim deserves justice. But let's keep working together to make it happen.' In recognizing May 5 as Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Awareness Day, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) addressed violence against Indigenous Michiganders in a news release as a 'crisis' that the department is urgently addressing. In the interest of raising awareness and honoring the lives that have been lost in Michigan, the state health department is calling attention to the Division of Victim Services (DVS) which provides grant funding to Michigan tribes to address sexual violence, domestic violence and other victim services in a culturally honoring manner. Elizabeth Hertel, Director of the state health department, in a news release said the state health department is not simply committed to raising awareness, but partnering with tribal communities to best address violence and the impact it has on the entire community.
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Evacuation orders lifted as crews work to contain Rio Grande Fire near Bosque Farms
Firefighting crews have worked to contain a brushfire that began Thursday near Bosque Farms, and evacuations in the area were lifted by Friday morning. The Rio Grande Fire was discovered just before 4 p.m. Thursday on Bureau of Indian Affairs land west of Bosque Farms, which sits in Valencia County just north of Los Lunas. By the end of the day, officials had estimated the fire at 150 acres with no containment. However, the State Forestry Division said in a news release Friday mapping showed the blaze had burned closer to 60 acres and was 10% contained. Three structures burned, the agency said, and some residential structures remain at risk. Investigators had not yet made a determination on the cause of the fire. Two divisions of crews were established on the north and south sides of the fire, which had moved into vegetation along the Bosque Farms community, the Forestry Division said in the release, adding crews would be working Friday 'to improve containment lines and continue extinguishing interior hot spots within the bosque area.' A red flag fire weather warning was in effect for the area Friday, with wind gusts reaching about 20 mph, but weather forecasters predicted a 30% chance of precipitation — possible rain showers in the afternoon and evening, and potentially snowfall after dark. Officials on Thursday evening had called for residents to evacuate the Bosque Farms community. While evacuation orders were lifted Friday, officials asked people to 'avoid the area due to response crews working and fire activity.'
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Wildfire near Bosque Farms 10% contained
Crews work on the Rio Grande Fire on Thursday afternoon. (Photo courtesy Candice Kutrosky, NM Forestry Division) A wildfire in Valencia County destroyed three structures yesterday evening, according to a New Mexico state Forestry spokesperson. Efforts to contain the wildfire remain ongoing. The Rio Grande Fire was detected around 4 p.m. on Thursday west of Bosque Farms. High winds and dry conditions pushed the fire east across the Rio Grande into the village Bosque Farms, state Forestry spokesperson George Ducker said. The fire, which started on Bureau of Indian Affairs jurisdiction is currently 10% contained, Ducker said. The fire spans roughly 60 acres, or less than a tenth of a square mile, and the structures burned may have been homes, Ducker said, , but a damage assessment is being conducted today. Fuels for the fire include grass, brush and other plants along the bosque. High winds and prolonged drought made fire risk high in the area and across the state Thursday. The fire also caused evacuations but those have since been lifted, Ducker said. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, Ducker said, though some online wildfire databases say it was 'human caused.' Crews worked through the night to contain the fire and have since established divisions on the north and south sides of it to try to contain it further. Crews will look to increase containment and extinguish hotspots within the bosque today, Ducker said. Winds in the area are expected to decrease, and scattered rain showers are expected tonight. Still, the eastern two-thirds of the state, including Bosque Farms, are under a Red Flag Warning, according to the National Weather Service.
