"the People's Paths!" Cherokee News Path - Cherokee Marshals Assist BIA in Dakotas

"Cherokee Nation
Marshal Service"

Marshals from the Cherokee Nation who volunteered to assist the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) in a peacekeeping mission on the Standing Rock reservation were recognized recently for their efforts.

Daniel Mead, Faron Pritchett, Chad McCarter, Rodney Kingfisher, John Timothy and Sharon Wright were all honored by Elmer Fourdance, Special Agent in charge of the BIA Aberdeen District. Pat Ragsdale, BIA Law Enforcement Director and Mike McCoy, BIA Special Agent for the Muskogee Area, were also in attendance at the event.

Wright, who is head of the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service, said the tasks at times were “daunting” but that the people of Standing Rock, a large reservation that spans South Dakota and North Dakota, were appreciative of the efforts, which made the experience rewarding.

“The tasks were daunting, with calls stacked beyond what officers had a capacity to react to,” Wright said. “The officers came back with pride of both their efforts expended and the Cherokee law enforcement program.”

The mission, dubbed “Operation Peacekeeper,” consisted of additional law enforcement personnel sent from the BIA to the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation to help combat the high rate of crime and to utilize community-policing tactics to carry out the mission of the operation.

According to accounts, there were relatively few law enforcement officers available to cover the 2.3 million acres of the reservation. Only two officers were available per every 10-hour shift to handle the average of 57 service calls per day, requiring drive times of nearly an hour between calls at times. The operation gave the BIA time to hire and train additional officers to cover the area.

“I am very proud of the Marshals who volunteered to assist the BIA on this mission,” Wright said. “They volunteered for a month-long detail, away from family and friends, working 12-hours every day. These officers honored the Cherokee Nation with their exemplary performance of duty.”