2024 Indian Country Conference: Offering Hope to Victims in the Spirit of Justice

SIOUX FALLS - Alison J. Ramsdell, United States Attorney for the District of South Dakota, and Mac Schneider, United States Attorney for the District of North Dakota, announced today that their offices hosted the 2024 Indian Country Conference: Offering Hope to Victims in the Spirit of Justice, on August 6-7, 2024, in Pierre, South Dakota.

U.S. Attorney Ramsdell and U.S. Attorney Schneider provided opening remarks during the conference, highlighting the important work done each and every day to secure justice for victims in Indian country. "Victims of crime are at the center of our prosecutions at the U.S. Attorney's Office in South Dakota," said U.S. Attorney Ramsdell, "and victim services providers are at the very heart of that critical work. We are fortunate to have skilled victim service professionals working alongside our prosecutors to vindicate the rights of victims and help them reclaim their voices."

"Whether it's our prosecutors, law enforcement partners, or victim service professionals, the Districts of North Dakota and South Dakota are united when it comes to pursuing justice for victims of crime," Schneider said. "This is especially true as we work together to benefit public safety in Indian country. Inside and outside the courtroom, the U.S. Attorney's Office is committed to obtaining just results and bringing a victim-centered approach to our work."

The conference featured speakers on a variety of topics. For example, Leslie Hagen, National Indian Country Training Initiative Coordinator at the National Advocacy Center in Columbia, South Carolina, provided expert training on the Investigation and Prosecution of Non-Fatal Strangulation Cases, as well as the Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse in Indian Country. Other speakers provided educational presentations on Sex Trafficking in Indian Country; Fentanyl Overdose Awareness; Healing Trauma with Somatic Approaches; Missing and Murdered Indigenous People; and Successful Team Coordination in Indian Country.

Conference participants included law enforcement officers, victim service providers, prosecutors, social workers, physicians and other medical professionals, mental health therapists, counselors, educators, court service officers, corrections officers, childcare providers, community leaders, and other concerned individuals from the two-state region of North Dakota and South Dakota-especially those dealing with family violence issues in tribal communities. Conference attendees were provided new tools and resources to continue their commitment to securing justice for victims of crime.