- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
South Dakota is implementing a new council to tackle the growing Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons crisis.
South Dakota Attorney General Mark Vargo announced the formation of the Attorney General's MMIP Advisory Council on Tuesday, Jan 4. The group will advise the Attorney General on establishing goals, protocols and parameters for the A.G.'s new MMIP Office.
"The issues surrounding Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women demand attention," Tatewin Means, the former Oglala Sioux Tribe's Attorney General who is co-chair of the MMIP Advisory Council, said in a statement. "I look forward to working with MMIP Coordinator Allison Morrisette, the Council and the Attorney General in making the MMIP Coordinator efforts successful."
Make A Monthly Donation Here
The council is made up of various stakeholders with the goal of equal representation among constituencies. Vargo will serve as the committee co-chair.
"The MMIP initiative within the Attorney General's Office is extremely important for the state," Vargo said in a statement. "When the Legislature established the MMIP position, it left it up to the Attorney General to fill in the details. That task will be done best with input from all appropriate corners."
The council will have its first meeting on Feb 14. On Jun 30, the Council will deliver to the Attorney General a list of goals and objectives for the MMIP Coordinator. The Council will meet at least annually thereafter to receive a report from the MMIP Coordinator.
Want more Native News? Get the free daily newsletter today.
While there is a lack of comprehensive data available on MMIP, according to a 2022 Congressional Research Service Report, there were 9,560 cases involving missing or murdered Indigenous people reported in 2020 alone. According to reporting from The Rapid City Journal, while Native Americans are 9 percent of South Dakota's population, they make up 60 percent of people currently listed on the state's missing persons' clearinghouse. The oldest case dates as far back as 1976, with the most recent case as recently as Jan 4, the day the state's MMIP Advisory Council was announced.
"The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Office, with the guidance of this Advisory Council, will do important work in this state," Attorney General-elect Marty Jackley said. "This is an opportunity to help those looking for answers to the fate of their family members and loved ones."
More Stories Like This
Lawsuit Filed by Fort Belknap Indian Community Against Greenberg Traurig, LLP Reads Like a Movie ScriptSpecial Edition Native Bidaské: Oglala Composer Mato Wayuhi
Ho-Chunk Trucker Spreads MMIP Message, Offers Safe Haven from Domestic Violence
Native News Weekly (September 24, 2023): D.C. Briefs
Assemblyman Ramos Honored with Award for Long Service to California Native American Commission
Native News is free to read.
We hope you enjoyed the story you've just read. For the past dozen years, we’ve covered the most important news stories that are usually overlooked by other media. From the protests at Standing Rock and the rise of the American Indian Movement (AIM), to the ongoing epidemic of Murdered and Missing Indigenous People (MMIP) and the past-due reckoning related to assimilation, cultural genocide and Indian Boarding Schools.
Our news is free for everyone to read, but it is not free to produce. That’s why we’re asking you to make a donation to help support our efforts. Any contribution — big or small — helps. Most readers donate between $10 and $25 to help us cover the costs of salaries, travel and maintaining our digital platforms. If you’re in a position to do so, we ask you to consider making a recurring donation of $12 per month to join the Founder's Circle. All donations help us remain a force for change in Indian Country and tell the stories that are so often ignored, erased or overlooked.
Donate to Native News Online today and support independent Indigenous journalism. Thank you.
