In November, 2022, South Dakota’s Attorney, Vargo, announced that he has taken action to fill positions to begin to respond to massive amounts of reports of missing Indigenous peoples.
Around 57% of individuals listed on the attorney general’s database of missing people are Native American and they only make 9% of the state’s population. This problem is not limited to South Dakota and for decades, has plagued federal and tribal agencies.
The new South Dakotan Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Coordinator is Allison Morrisette of the Sioux Tribe. And the Human Trafficking Coordinator is Mary Beth Holzwarth, the former director of an organization dedicated to child sexual assault prevention.
Although these hirings mark an important step towards safety, it has been over two years since the state Legislature created the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons office.
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