Letter to Tara Sweeney, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs & Christopher Wray, Director of the Department of the Interior Federal Bureau of Investigations - Following Deaths at Northern Cheyenne, Tester Pushes for Answers, Accountability from FBI and BIA

Letter

Dear Assistant Secretary Sweeney and Director Wray:
I write today with my urgent concerns regarding the ongoing public safety crisis on the
Northern Cheyenne Reservation. Over the past few months, multiple Northern Cheyenne Tribal
members have been found dead on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation, including Christy
Woodenthigh, Kymani Littlebird, and Lonnie Flatness. My office has been in regular contact
with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in hope of
bringing more resources and greater transparency to these tragedies. It is clear that more
attention and resources are necessary. I respectfully request your personal attention to these
matters.
I have heard from Northern Cheyenne Tribal leadership and multiple family members
regarding these recent deaths. The loss of these individuals has rippled through the community
as has alarm at the growing number of cases. Tribal leadership and family members of the
deceased have raised consistent concerns about the lack of communication from both the BIA
and FBI. I urge you to work with the Northern Cheyenne Tribe to ensure family and community
members continue to receive regular updates on these investigations.
The U.S. Government has trust and treaty responsibilities to ensure the safety and
wellbeing of those on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation. I urge you to uphold these
responsibilities, focus all possible resources on these cases, and work with Tribal leadership to
improve public safety on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation. I appreciate your personal
attention to these matters.
Sincerely,

Jon Tester

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