>> Cathy: A MINNEAPOLIS COMMUNITY PUBLIC SAFETY FORUM EARLIER THIS WEEK HIGHLIGHTED A STARK FIGURE: NATIVE WOMEN MAKE UP LESS THAN 1% OF MINNESOTA'S POPULATION, BUT BETWEEN 2010 AND 2019, 10% OF THE STATE'S MISSING WOMEN WERE NATIVE.

THAT NUMBER HAS MANY IN THE COMMUNITY CALLING FOR A STATE OF EMERGENCY.

AND TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

RUTH BUFFALO WAS AT THE MEETING THAT INCLUDED PUBLIC SAFETY AND ELECTED OFFICIALS ALONG WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS.

SHE IS THE CEO OF THE MINNESOTA INDIAN WOMEN'S RESOURCE ENTER.

WELCOME TO ALMANAC.

>> THANK YOU.

>> Cathy: SEEMS TO ME I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM FOR A LONG TIME.

>> RIGHT.

>> Cathy: AND I'M CURIOUS BUT IT'S GETTING MORE ATTENTION, WHICH IS A GOOD THING.

>> YEAH.

>> Cathy: BUT WHAT'S DRIVING THESE NUMBERS?

>> OH, THAT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION.

MANY OF US ARE EXHAUSTED AND IT BEGS TO CALL WHY, YOU KNOW, WHY DOES IT CONTINUE?

AND THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT CONTRIBUTING FACTORS BUT WE ARE REALLY PUSHING FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND ACTION.

>> Cathy: DO YOU, IS IT -- JUST TO KIND OF PRESS ON THIS A LITTLE BIT MORE.

I'M WONDERING, IS THIS PARTNER VIOLENCE THAT'S OCCURRING THAT THE WOMAN THEN DISAPPEARS?

ARE WE TALKING ABOUT ARE THESE TRAFFICKED WOMEN?

I MEAN, WHAT DO OFFICIALS THINK IS GOING ON?

>> IT'S A NUMBER OF THINGS, A NUMBER OF CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.

THERE REALLY ISN'T ONE COOKIE CUTTER CASE.

YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE, GENDER BASED VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND REALLY JUST A MATTER OF THE POWERS THAT BE REALLY BELIEVING SURVIVORS AND BELIEVING VICTIMS AND THEIR STORIES, O BE MORE PROACTIVE AND PREVENTATIVE.

SO THERE'S A NUMBER OF REASONS.

OFTENTIMES WE SEE YOUNG INDIVIDUALS GET TRICKED INTO THINKING THEY'RE GOING INTO A RELATIONSHIP AND THEN IT TURNS INTO SOMETHING ELSE OR BIG PLANS TO GO TO A BIG URBAN CITY WITH MORE OPPORTUNITY AND THEN THEY'RE LEFT HERE IN ACTIVE ADDICTION WHILE A PARTNER IS IN PRISON SERVING TIME.

I MEAN, THERE'S JUST SO MANY DIFFERENT STORIES THAT ARE REALLY HEART BREAKING, AND WE REALLY NEED ACTION AND ACCOUNTABILITY.

>> Eric: THE FBI IS COMMITTING SOME RESOURCES TO INVESTIGATING.

IS THAT A GOOD STEP, OR PEOPLE A LITTLE MISTRUSTFUL OF LAW ENFORCEMENT OR HOW DOES THAT BREAK DOWN?

>> I THINK IT'S A GOOD STEP FORWARD.

THERE IS A HUGE GAP HISTORICALLY IN AND AROUND TRIBAL COMMUNITIES FOR ENFORCING AND PROSECUTION OF VIOLENT CRIMES.

SO IT'S A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

BUT WE WANT TO SEE FOLLOW-THROUGH, JUSTICE, AND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR SURE.

>> Eric: WHAT DOES YOUR GROUP DO AS FAR AS -- FOUR, FIVE YEARS AGO IT AS CREATED.

>> THE METRO URBAN INDIAN DIRECTORS COUNCIL IS FORMED I BELIEVE ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO OR SO, BUT UNDERNEATH THE LEADERSHIP OF THE LATE MARLENE HELGAMO.

BUT, YES, IT'S COMPROMISED OF ALL OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS OF NATIVE ORGS IN THE METRO AREA HERE.

AND SO WE RECENTLY CALLED A MEETING, A PUBLIC SAFETY CONVENING, AND THIS WAS LED BY OUR NATIVE WOMEN EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS.

AND SO WE'RE REALLY WANTING TO DRIVE HOME THE NEED AND THE SENSE OF URGENCY FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION NOW TO PREVENT FURTHER LIVES FROM BEING LOST.

>> Cathy: AND IS THE COMMUNITY GETTING THAT MESSAGE AS WELL?

WHEN SOMETHING DOES HAPPEN, DO THEY FEEL THAT THEY'RE BEING LISTENED TO BY OFFICIALS?

>> NOT NECESSARILY.

AND THAT'S THE THING, IT'S LIKE WE'D LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, GO ABOUT OUR DAY LIKE THE NEXT PERSON, BUT OFTENTIMES WE FIND OURSELVES HAVING TO SPEAK UP AND ADDRESS THE ISSUES AND HAVE THOSE HARD, UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATIONS BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH AT STAKE, YOU KNOW, OUR CHILDREN, WE WANT OUR CHILDREN TO GROW UP IN A SAFE COMMUNITY.

THERE'S BEEN SO MANY ISSUES IN AND AROUND LITTLE EARTH WHERE YOUNG 8-YEAR-OLD BOYS ARE BEING APPROACHED AND, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO BE COERCED, PROPOSITIONED INTO SEXUAL ACTIVITY.

THERE'S JUST A THEME OF LAWLESSNESS IN SOUTH MINNEAPOLIS AROUND LITTLE EARTH, CEDAR, MINNEAPOLIS.

MINNESOTA INDIAN WOMEN'S RESOURCE CENTER, THERE'S JUST A LOT OF TRAFFIC THAT WE SEE 24/7 THAT JUST EEMS TO GO UNCHECKED.

>> Eric: AND TAKEAWAYS FROM THE MEETING THAT YOU HAD?

>> THE >> TAKEAWAYS ARE THERE WAS A LOT OF TALKING BUT WE WANT MORE ACTION AND LESS TALKING, WE WANT FOLLOW-THROUGH.

AND SO AGAIN WE'RE CONSTANTLY HAVING TO SORT OF STICK OUR NECKS OUT AND BE UNCOMFORTABLE TO GET THE MESSAGE ACROSS THAT ACTION IS NOW, IT'S LONG OVERDUE.

AND SO WE'RE HOPING FOR SOME GOOD MEASURABLE OUTCOMES BUT WE WANT THE NARRATIVE ALSO TO BE CORRECTED.

YOU KNOW, IN BROADER MAINSTREAM NEWS IS THAT THE COMMUNITY DOES COME TOGETHER IN TIMES OF NEED AND SEES THE SENSE OF URGENCY FOR ACTION NOW.

AND SO WE WANT ANSWERS AND WE WANT A GOOD PLAN IN PLACE, PLAN OF ACTION FROM THE POWERS THAT BE.

>> Cathy: ALL RIGHT, WE'LL BE WATCHING.

THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

>> Eric: THANKS FOR COMING OVER.

>> YEAH.

THANK YOU.

♪