A bill that directs the Department of Criminal Investigation to collect data on missing and murdered indigenous people awaits the governor’s signature.
The bill received unanimous support from both chambers of the state legislature.
Democratic State Representative Peri Pouier is Oglala Lakota from the Pine Ridge reservation.
She says the hope is to get the federal, state and tribal governments on the same page.
“That has always been the goal, for years, that we can find places where we can agree and that we can find solutions that work for the common good of everyone involved,” Pourier says. “All the stakeholders have to be at the table.”
Other proponents of the bill say it’s a jurisdictional issue. Pourier says tribal councils across South Dakota are passing similar legislation.
Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg directs the Department of Criminal Investigation. He says he supports the legislation too.