Serving Victims on the Rez

Domestic violence has long plagued the Fort Berthold Reservation in North Dakota. But recent advancements in oil and gas drilling have brought an influx of new workers, and as the population around the reservation has grown, so too have the rate of assaults. For some family members — such as Matthew Lone Bear, whose sister, Olivia, disappeared in 2017 — the search for a missing victim means scouring the massive, roughly 1-million-acre reservation. It can often leave loved ones feeling hopeless.
That’s where TAT Victim Services comes in. The organization works with Fort Berthold’s tribal members, known as the MHA Nation, in dealing with domestic and sexual violence, human trafficking, elder abuse, and missing or murdered people on the reservation. By hosting events to raise awareness, providing survivors with safe shelter, and assisting in the opening of missing-persons cases, TAT helps tribal members in need.
Watch the video above to see the work TAT Victim Services is doing on the Fort Berthold Reservation to help families like Lone Bear’s.

Editor’s note: Some faces and names in the video have been obscured to protect the privacy of the people involved.