David W. Ogden, the Deputy Attorney General, spoke today at the Tulalip Reservation in Seattle, Washington about the responsibility we have to Indian Country.

From his remarks:

Public safety in Indian Country requires our urgent attention. Violent crime in much of Indian Country is staggering, and its effect on the everyday lives of tribal communities is unacceptable. Our Tribal Nations face enormous law enforcement challenges, particularly with respect to violent crime, violence against women and crimes against children. While Tribal Nations accomplish a tremendous amount with the resources they have, those resources are wholly inadequate to the serious criminal justice problems they face each day.

The Department of Justice has a fundamental responsibility to improve public safety in Tribal communities. We have a legal duty to prosecute violent crime in Indian Country. This is because in much of Indian Country — under current law — we alone have the authority to prosecute serious violent crime to the full extent of the law. Our role as the primary prosecutor for serious violent crime makes our responsibility to our citizens in Indian Country unique.

We also have a trust responsibility to support the tribal law enforcement and justice institutions so critical to tribal sovereignty, and to build relations with our Tribal Nations on a true government-to-government basis. We have a duty to improve communication with our tribal partners and to strengthen the bonds between our institutions.

This is a simple question of meeting our responsibilities as a government, and it’s critical to the basic quality of life for those in Indian Country. Under the leadership of Attorney General Holder, the Department of Justice vigorously embraces this important role. We are dedicated to working closely with our Tribal partners, on a true government-to-government basis, to develop a comprehensive approach to improving law enforcement in Indian Country.

You can read the full remarks, here.