Tribal Affairs
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Dakota News Now
An internship offered by U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson is fostering connections between Washington, D.C., and tribes in South Dakota.
The Ben Reifel Internship has existed for several years and is named after the only Native American to represent South Dakota in Congress. Among internships sponsored by South Dakota’s congressional delegation, it’s the only one focused specifically on tribes.
At the start of my first day as the Ben Reifel intern for Congressman Dusty Johnson, I was convinced the biggest takeaway would be the experience. I did not imagine I would be swayed into the world of politics. The intern experience has been amazing, and I’m even more thankful Congressman Johnson has given me the opportunity to have policy exposure I would not have had otherwise.
Rapid City Journal
Less than a month after being introduced in the U.S. House, South Dakota Representative Dusty Johnson's legislation to protect the land around the Wounded Knee Massacre site has passed out of the House Natural Resources Committee with unanimous approval.
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) this week urged U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland to direct the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to provide additional support to tribal law enforcement agencies in South Dakota to help combat the spike of violent crime on reservations.
In the late 1880s, a movement called the Ghost Dance swept across the nation. Indians believed that this dance would give stolen land back to them, bringing about a renewal of Native society. Indians would join together to dance for this renewal at the protest of the federal government.
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) introduced the Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Actto preserve a section of the land where hundreds of Lakota Indians were massacred by the U.S. Army.
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) introduced the Tribal Police Department Parity Act to eliminate burdensome regulations and streamline Tribal police department access to duty weapons.