Urban Indian Health Institute graphic.
PIERRE, S.D. (KELO.com) — At last week’s budget address, one of the items proposed by Governor Kristi Noem was a position dedicated to human trafficking, with a specific mention of missing and murdered indigenous peoples.
Noem broke down the proposed role in a teleconference following the budget address.
Lily Mendoza is the founder of the Red Ribbon Skirt Society, which specializes in cases of missing and murdered indigenous people, and said a position like this is a step in the right direction.
Mendoza said the position, if established, would need to have broad reach.
Mendoza recently traveled to Chadron, Nebraska to do a series of talks for the college and community regarding the issue.
(CJ Keene, KOTA-AM, contributed this report.)
