Readout of Attorney General Merrick B. Garland’s Participation in a Tribal Roundtable with Nine South Dakota Tribal Nations at the Yankton Sioux Nation

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland met yesterday with Tribal leaders and Tribal law enforcement officials from the nine South Dakota Tribal Nations at a roundtable held at the Yankton Sioux Nation to discuss public safety issues. The Attorney General was joined by Senator Mike Rounds. The visit highlighted the Department's efforts to address public safety and justice in Tribal communities across South Dakota, including combating violent crime and drug-related crime, and the crisis of missing or murdered Indigenous persons.

The roundtable discussion also included representatives from the offices of Senator John Thune and Representative Dusty Johnson. Representatives from the nine South Dakota Tribal Nations, including the Yankton Sioux Tribe, Oglala Sioux Tribe, Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe, Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, Crow Creek Sioux Tribe, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, and Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, discussed the public safety challenges facing each of their communities. Acting Director Daron T. Carreiro of the Justice Department's Office of Tribal Justice and U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell for the District of South Dakota also participated in the roundtable. Discussion topics included the Department's efforts to address pressing public safety needs, including violent and drug-related crime experienced by the Tribes.

Recognizing that progress on public safety issues depends on successful partnerships, the Department - primarily through the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and U.S. Attorney's Office - has launched joint operations to address violent and drug-related crimes in Tribal communities. These include FBI's Safe Trails Task Forces to conduct joint investigations to combat drug trafficking in Tribal communities; FBI's Operation Not Forgotten to surge resources into Tribal communities to address unsolved crimes; and the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program, which provides for the placement of an MMIP Assistant U.S. Attorney and an MMIP Coordinator in five designated regions with Indian Country across the United States, including South Dakota.

In addition to increased operational support, since 2021, the Department has provided over $19 million in funding specifically for Tribes in South Dakota to support Tribal public safety programs. This funding has gone toward hiring, equipping, and training officers; improving the handling of child abuse cases; combating domestic and sexual violence; supporting Tribal youth programs; and strengthening victim services in Tribal communities.

Addressing the crises of missing or murdered Indigenous people and human trafficking of Indigenous people continues to be a priority for the Justice Department. In addition to rolling out the MMIP Regional Outreach Program and addressing cold cases through the FBI's Operation Not Forgotten, the Department continues to be guided by the recommendations in the Not Invisible Act Commission's final report. The Departments of Justice and the Interior issued a joint response in March and are working to implement new commitments and strengthen ongoing efforts.

Other topics raised during the Attorney General's visit to Indian country included the need for increased public safety and justice finding and improvements to grant resources and officer training.

Earlier in the day, Attorney General Garland met with prosecutors and federal, state, local, and Tribal law enforcement partners from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of South Dakota. During the meeting the Attorney General highlighted the Department's work to decrease violent crime and combat the fentanyl epidemic. The Attorney General met with U.S. Attorney Ramsdell and discussed her office's work to address violent crime and public safety in Indian Country.