COSROW MMIW Seminar Follow-up

Celebrating a victory for MMIWR, still struggling for justice

by Shirley Durr, Social Action Coordinator

Speaking at the 2022 COSROW Seminar Where are Our Sisters? Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Minnesota’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives (MMIR) Office Director Juliet Rudie, mentioned limits placed on tribal police that create obstacles when indigenous women are murdered or missing.

In January of this year the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe won part of its lawsuit claiming Mille Lacs County illegally limited its policing authority to investigate violations of federal, state, and tribal law on the Mille Lacs reservation and asking the court to stop the county from interfering.

Senior U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson’s ruling confirms that the band's original 61,000 acre reservation that was established by an 1855 treaty still exists and Mille Lacs County acted unlawfully in prohibiting tribal officers from investigating violations of state law. Prior to this ruling, tribal leaders said that gangs and drug dealers considered the reservation a police-free zone.

“It was good news that the Band won their law suit,” said Rudie. “There are jurisdictional issues that involve all the 11 Tribal Nations. It is a complicated issue that deserves attention.”

The complications mean that the struggle for justice continues. “Some of the Tribes don’t have full police powers, limiting them from entering information into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC),” Rudie told us. “I am hoping our new Commissioner [Bob Jacobson] will support the Tribes when they want to pursue full police powers.”

Rudie pointed out, “There are still issues with nonnatives not being prosecuted for crimes in Indian Country.” She said that some “states are doing a work around by making their own laws so nonnatives can’t be prosecuted in Indian Country.” In addition, she reminds us that there are “complicated negative historical issues.”

Because changes in “policing as usual” have to go through the legislature, It’s up to us to connect with resources that keep us informed and need our support (such as MN350 Missing and Murdered Relatives Campaign and the Native American International Caucus of the United Methodist Church as well as Minnesota Annual Conference’s Committee on Native American Ministries). And don’t forget to share what you learn with others.

Beyond this, we should assure that Bob Jacobson, the Public Safety Commissioner for Minnesota, understands and supports the public safety issues we care about. We should also connect with elected officials asking them to support legislation giving tribal authorities powers they need to protect their communities.

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