Federal Failure Leaves Native Communities Victimized: $18M Settlement Only a Start

For decades, the Indian Health Service (IHS), a federal agency charged with safeguarding the health of our nation's Native American communities, failed miserably in its duty—allowing a convicted child abuser to prey upon vulnerable young boys across Montana and South Dakota. The recent $18 million settlement reached by the government with victims is a grim acknowledgment of this systemic failure, but it is far from justice. How Did We Let This Happen? Leadership Ignored Clear Warnings Dr. Stanley Patrick Weber’s horrifying abuse was not an isolated incident or a failure to detect early signs. A comprehensive 161-page report commissioned by...