The South Dakota Attorney General’s Office plans to hire a full-time employee dedicated to missing and murdered Indigenous person cases.
Rep. Peri Pourier, a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, says Gov. Kristi Noem’s office informed her this week that the Noem will sign the legislation creating the position.
“On behalf of those who helped lobby this effort, and, most importantly, the countless missing and murdered Indigenous people throughout our state, we say Pila mayaye. Thank You!’’ Pourier wrote in a news release.
“This will help identify the areas where existing coordination could improve, opens the door for further investment from federal and foundational opportunities, and ultimately bring our missing relatives home,’’ said Sen. Red Dawn Foster, who, like Pourier, is a Democrat from Pine Ridge, the Rapid City Journal reported.
“This is a step in the right direction for state and tribal leaders,’’ said Kevin Killer, president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. “This is a nonpolitical issue that we should be able to work together towards addressing and solving.’’
The MMIP office will be funded through grants from foundations and the federal government, according to the news release.
There are currently 102 missing South Dakotans. About 68%, are Indigenous even though Native Americans make up only about 9% of the state’s population.
