An advocate for women living on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation has been appointed by the state’s U.S. Attorney.Brendan Johnson’s special assistant is in charge of prosecuting cases of violence against women in tribal and federal courts.
Erin Shanley is a Cheyenne River Sioux tribal member and an assistant prosecutor on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. Her additional position as the U.S. Attorney’s special assistant on that reservation is funded by a grant from the Justice Department's Office on Violence Against Women.
Shanley says her job includes prosecuting cases involving domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking committed within the reservation's boundaries.
“Basically the goal of my position as a cross-designated prosecutor is to work with the federal government and the tribal government to improve the investigation and the prosecution of domestic violence cases here on the reservation," explains Shanley. "And also to partner with domestic violence advocates and others who work in the system to help assist the victims of domestic violence to have more of a voice and participate in the criminal justice process.”
Shanley says the U.S. Attorney’s office is doing its best to address the alarming rate of violence against women on the Standing Rock Sioux and other reservations. Native American women can help by reporting the crime.