Savanna’s Act: Addressing the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Epidemic

Savanna’s Act addresses the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls epidemic currently and historically present in the United States. 

Background

According to the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women, “the U.S Department of Justice found that American Indian women face murder rates that are more than 10 times the national average”. Lack of communication between law enforcement agencies and jurisdictional differences have led to difficulty tracking down missing Indigenous women and barriers when bringing legal action against perpetrators. Due to the Oliphant v. Suquamish Indian Tribe decision, Native Nations are not allowed to persecute non-Indians except for “domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and violation of protection orders.” Tribal courts can only impose a punishment of one year in prison or a fine of $5,000 or both. tribal-institute.org

Savanna’s Act

On October 10, 2020, the Executive Branch of the United States passed Savanna’s Act into law. This bill requires the Department of Justice to focus on training, data collection, and coordination to address the Missing and Murdered epidemic. The DOJ will need to create a task force to coordinate with tribal law enforcement to track down missing indigenous women and children. The bill was first introduced in 2017. Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind, who the bill was named after, was a member of the Spirit Lake Nation murdered by her neighbor. She was 22 years old and eight months pregnant. npr.org

Native lives have been overlooked by this country since the first Europeans stepped foot in North America. The effects of settler colonialism are still felt today. Native lives must be protected. To further educate yourself on Indigenous issues and find out how you can help, visit the Lakota People’s Law Project blog for resources. Listen to Native voices and support them however you can.

 

• indigenous
• native american