Five year anniversary of Savanna’s Act

Oct. 10 marks the five-year anniversary of Savanna’s Act. The act is named after Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind, the 22-year-old Fargo mother who was murdered by her neighbors in 2017.

Greywind was a citizen of Spirit Lake Nation. Her case caught national attention, with Native advocates calling out the need for awareness and policies to address MMIP.

The act was signed into law in 2020 with the goal of improving the federal response to MMIP. Both of North Dakota’s senators, John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer, co-sponsored the act. The act required the Department of Justice to establish new guidelines in MMIP training, engagement with tribal leaders and data entry. The bill also authorizes the Department of Justice to provide MMIP grants to tribal and state governments.

“Savanna’s Act was born out of heartbreak, but also out of strength,” Spirit Lake Nation Chairwoman Lonna Jackson-Street said in a press release. “Five years later, we continue to honor Savanna’s memory by putting action behind our words. “Here at Spirit Lake, her legacy is alive in the systems we’re building, the families we stand beside, and the voices we refuse to let fade into silence.”