Nine of South Dakota’s tribal leaders met with the United States Attorney General along with U.S. Senator Mike Rounds to discuss law enforcement and public safety issues plaguing tribal land.
United States Attorney General Merrick Garland met with nine tribal leaders in Wagner on Wednesday to discuss challenges in law enforcement and public safety on reservations.
Garland said he intentionally met with tribal leaders face to face.
“We need to have this personal testimony. It's one thing to read about it in some position paper, some briefing paper, it's quite another to see your faces. The deep emotion that you all feel about what’s happening on your lands. The justice department is committed to being a partner, committed to the recognition that this is government to government, sovereign to sovereign relationship," said Garland. "You asked me how I view this, that is how I view our relationships. Some tribes have different ideas about what they want to do and we have to meet you where you are.”
U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds served as a connection point between the parties.
Rounds said the groups spoke on officer training and different funding opportunities.
Tribal leaders voiced their concerns over a lack of law enforcement training and officers on their lands. They feel the federal government should be doing more about public safety. Some leaders pointed to Crow Creek as an example of progress against the issues hurting all tribal lands.
Peter Lengkeek is the President of Crow Creek Sioux Tribe. He said his tribe has done the best they can to mitigate human trafficking, drugs, and violence.
“I always tell my people back home that we’re in this alone, ain’t no buddy going to come and save us, so we have act accordingly and that is what Crow Creek has done. We’ve taken matters into our own hands, the best we can given the lack of law enforcement, and resources. We are trying to get out of that reaction mode which we’ve been in for so long,” said Lengkeek.
Garland agreed that the Bureau of Indian Affairs needs more federal funding. He said all tribal communities deserve safety and justice.
