Thank you so much for this important hearing and the leadership of the Committee.

I certainly agree with their assessments.

I think that it is something I fully support, and I have seen work, especially with lessons I have learned from leaders on the Navajo Nation.

However, a significant issue on the Fort Peck Reservation is that there are people who are dealing 50 pills or less, and the Department of Justice has no interest in prosecuting these people.

Lack of prosecutions in the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples space is an area where I've tried to hold DOJ accountable, and I'm frustrated that the same problem applies to drug dealers.

We think this can be addressed by supporting multi-agency drug task forces, which include ATF, DEA, FBI, the Tribal and State law enforcement agencies.

I certainly agree with their assessments.

I certainly hope that we can gather and have a much larger conversation about the Bureau of Indian Affairs being supportive of sovereign nations as opposed to punitive in many areas.

So let me ask the question differently, Councilman, will more treatment facilities closer to home make a difference?

I hope that there can be time for us to have a conversation about cross-commissioning and MOUs.

Thank you so much for this important hearing and the leadership of the Committee.

We would support the federal recognition of the inherent sovereignty of tribes to prosecute non-Indians engaged in drug dealing on the Reservation.