The struggles that Robin Poor Bear, formerly Charboneau, endures in Kind Hearted Woman are unfortunately too common for many Native Americans living on reservations today.

In October, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, a federal agency, stepped in to take control of Tribal Social Services, officially at the request of the tribe. The Tribal Council, which governs Spirit Lake, explained the decision, saying it didn’t have the funds to combat problems with the child-welfare agency on the reservation.

What’s changed since then? Residents at Spirit Lake have complained the government and the tribe haven’t done enough.

But the BIA has said that it’s hiring new employees and investigating allegations of abuse. Last week, the tribe’s own court convicted a man in an abuse case that one of the federal whistleblowers had flagged. The case was seen as a small step towards addressing a problem that has festered unchecked for years.