Trafficking in methamphetamine and cocaine has hurt the Red Lake Nation, says Chairman Floyd Jourdain Jr., but he won't let the tribe join local drug task forces out of concerns for sovereignty.
Jourdain says the federal government has a responsibility to provide adequate funding for law enforcement on the reservation. The tribe is the only one in Minnesota that hasn't allowed state jurisdiction.
The tribe recently pulled out of a drug task force after an attempt to enforce state law on the reservation. Jourdain says he can't allow that to happen even if drugs are affecting his community.
Jourdain has criticized a New York Times story that suggested he hindered drug probes because his relatives were involved in trafficking. At the National Congress of American Indians winter session in Washington, D.C., he defended his decisions.
Get the Story:Tribal sovereignty poses challenges for local law enforcement (Minnesota Public Radio 3/10) Relevant Links:
Red Lake Nation - http://www.redlakenation.org Related Stories:
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