By Bobby Falat
FORT TOTTEN, N.D. (Valley News Live) – Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind’s murder in 2017 sparked federal legislation that the Spirit Lake Tribe says has already saved lives.
LaFontaine-Greywind, a Spirit Lake Tribe member, brought national attention to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons through her death.
“We want to honor her and we want to make sure her memory is not in vain,” said Vicki Alberts, Public Relations, Spirit Lake Tribe. “Tribal council here within Spirit Lake boundaries stands firm with these families, and they want to not just sit in remembrance of, but again to provide action and to ensure that their tribal members’ names remain out there.“
Savanna’s Act was signed into law on October 10, 2020, and mandated improved coordination, communication, and data sharing among tribal, state, and federal law enforcement agencies.
“Savanna’s Act was born out of heartbreak, but also out of strength,” said Lonna Jackson-Street, Spirit Lake Tribe chairwoman. ”Five years later, we continue to honor Savanna’s memory by putting action behind our words. That action is reflected in the work of our MMIP Text Alert Sub-Team and the larger Incident Command Team, who have built a coordinated, boots-on-the-ground response system.“
Since implementing their response system, the tribe has helped locate five missing people who didn’t qualify for state alerts.
“For us as Indigenous people, every missing Tribal member is an emergency,” Chairwoman Jackson-Street said.
The tribe also acknowledged families still seeking answers about missing loved ones, including Isaac Hunt and Jemini Posey, both tribal members.
“When we speak the names of Isaac, Jemini, and Savanna, we are not only honoring their memory, we are recommitting ourselves to action,” said Jackson-Street.
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