Feather Rae Colombe was a star athlete and a musician during her high school years. She was also featured in the award-winning video “More Than That” – produced by Todd County High School students in response to Diane Sawyer’s critical observation of life on South Dakota reservations called “A Hidden America - Children of the Plains”.

So when word filtered out that Feather Rae had died after a high speed pursuit by Rosebud Sioux tribal police in the early morning hours of May 1, members of her small, close-knit community of Mission were shocked.

According to relatives, Feather Rae Colombe’s reluctance to stop her vehicle may have been linked to her fear of police. Jackie Colombe says her granddaughter was involved in an incident during her elementary school years that resulted in a Rosebud Sioux tribal police officer losing his job and doing prison time.

Jackie Colombe is curious why the local media wasn’t informed of the pursuit that killed her granddaughter. But she’s more concerned about why the police were chasing Feather Rae, why she wasn’t allowed to see Feather Rae before her body was sent to Sioux Falls for an autopsy and why the need for an autopsy.

Feather Rae’s family is also being denied access to her cell phone as well as to her vehicle – which a Lakota spiritual leader needs to visit in order to complete a traditional burial ceremony.