National | Politics

Sen. Conrad loses confidence in Spirit Lake Nation leadership

Friday, August 24, 2012

Sen. Kent Conrad (D-North Dakota) no longer has confidence in the leadership at the Spirit Lake Dakotah Nation and will press the Obama administration to take over social services on the reservation.

Along with Sen. John Hoeven (R-North Dakota), Conrad has been monitoring the situation and said there's been little progress despite national attention to child welfare conditions on the reservation. The two lawmakers believe the Bureau of Indian Affairs should take over the tribe's self-determination contracts.

“This is not a signal to me that they are coping with this crisis in a way that’s acceptable,” Conrad told The Grand Forks Herald, noting that tribal leaders are no longer talking to him.

“We definitely think BIA taking over the programs is an option that should be on the table,” added a staff member for Hoeven.

The tribe has mainly kept quiet amid the crisis but issued a statement earlier this month that slammed media reports and disputed statements made by federal officials and other critics.

Get the Story:
Conrad: Spirit Lake lacks leadership on child protection (The Grand Forks Herald 8/24)
State says it offered to help tribe protect children (The Grand Forks Herald 8/24)