Opinion: Oglala Sioux Tribe demands justice for crimes

Wednesday, April 18, 2012  

"Violence on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation is far too familiar; grievance for lost loved ones hangs heavy in the air. At times, the commonality of murder and violence has been so exceptional that it cannot be understood by its own people. A perpetual state of mourning consumes much of the population due to the federal government’s neglect of its duties to investigate and prosecute murders on the Reservation, but a dedicated group of Tribal officials is now taking action to restore justice at Pine Ridge.

Fed up with federal apathy, Oglala officials are now demanding that agencies, including the Department of Justice and the FBI, take action. Since the 1970s, and some would even argue the 1950s, homicides on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation have been largely overlooked by the federal government. The number of murders that have been inadequately investigated and ineffectively prosecuted, if at all, is an outrage.

In the 1970s, violence plagued the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Between March 1, 1973, and March 1, 1976, the murder rate on the Reservation soared to 170 per 100,000; the highest nationwide."

Get the Story:
Lisa R. Shellenberger and Jennifer S. Baker: Oglala Sioux Tribe Demands Justice for Appalling Number of Unsolved Reservation Murders (Indian Country Today 4/18)