Mary Annette Pember: Pine Ridge still lacks shelter for victims

There has been no shelter for domestic violence victims on Pine Ridge since Cangleska Inc., a Sioux tribal chartered organization closed over six years ago. The shelter closed due to mismanagement of federal funds; victims of domestic violence on this vast reservation must now find their way to shelters located hours away on the Rosebud Reservation or Rapid City and elsewhere.

According to Norma Rendon, acting director of Oglala Tribe Victim Services, her staff of four are kept constantly busy transporting victims to safety in these far away shelters. “Transporting a victim and her family to a shelter takes an entire day for one of my staff,” Rendon reported.

The prospect of traveling so far into unfamiliar territory and far from social support systems is too unsettling for many victims. This effectively prevents many from seeking help according to Clausen.

The death of a young Oglala woman on Pine Ridge on April 30, 2015 was a glaring example of the dangers of domestic violence on the reservation. According to Native Sun News, Jessie Waters had petitioned the Oglala Sioux Tribal Court on April 7, 2015 for a protection order against her partner, Duane Benson. Benson was later arrested in connection with Water’s death.