Native American Drug & Gang Initiative Task Force
A multi-pronged effort, the Task Force is grounded in community and tribal government cooperation to address threats on tribal reservations in Wisconsin.
By Honoring Nations
Honoring Nations 2016 Awardee
Illicit activities on tribal land
Federal, state, and tribal agencies struggle to address drug and gang problems on reservations. Jurisdictional, cultural, economic and geographic factors make tribes in Wisconsin especially vulnerable to gang/drug activity.
As gangs and a substantial trade in illicit drugs like heroin, methamphetamine, and synthetic cannabinoids moved onto reservations in Wisconsin, tribal police were ill-equipped to deal with the surge of violence and related social problems that followed. In contrast to gangs, which were establishing sophisticated trafficking and recruiting networks that reached well beyond reservation borders, tribal police departments were isolated in their efforts to respond to this new wave of crime.
A coordinated tribal response
In 2007, tribal police departments in WI established the Native American Drug and Gang Initiative (NADGI) Task Force under the state’s Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Enforcement Group program to address these problems across geographically disconnected jurisdictions.
The NADGI Task Force is a collaboration of the Wisconsin Department of Justice, the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, and the law enforcement agencies of nine Wisconsin tribes.
Native American Drug and Gang Initiative Task Force, Intertribal Nations of WisconsinHonoring Nations
The Task Force facilitates information coordination among member agencies to better fight illegal drug and gang activities on tribal lands and in surrounding communities.
For example, all members of the Task Force have access to shared confidential law enforcement databases with surveillance information about suspects and drug trafficking routes, allowing tribal officers to respond more quickly to emerging threats.
Leadership and community building
Each Native nation develops a plan to reduce local threats, and the Task Force provides support to carry out these law enforcement goals. In addition, the Task Force provides guidance to tribal governments on how to use their sovereign powers to address community concerns.
The NADGI Task Force gives tribal police officers the tools they need to address gang and drug activity more effectively, proving that tribal officers, working in partnership with external agencies, can keep reservation communities safe and renew trust in law enforcement.
Native American Drug and Gang Initiative Task Force, Intertribal Nations of WisconsinHonoring Nations
The NADGI Task Force’s efforts to restore trust are further aided by tribal officers’ sensitivity to cultural protocols, which not only guide them in their communication efforts but also help them properly deal with sacred items, such as drums and eagle feathers, that gangs have co-opted for illegal uses.
Native American Drug and Gang Initiative Task Force, Intertribal Nations of WisconsinHonoring Nations
Awardee update
Post-pandemic, trends of opioid abuse and Fentanyl in NADGI regions have increased as well as an increase of NARCAN deployments per patient which indicates higher individual tolerance and higher potency within the drugs. Training focusing on drugs, firearms, and human trafficking is currently being prioritized for the Task Force Officers.
Native American Drug and Gang Initiative Task Force, Intertribal Nations of WisconsinHonoring Nations
Bringing the lessons home
The NADGI Task Force helps Wisconsin tribes lead the effort to identify and eliminate threats to public safety on their reservations, protecting their sovereignty and ensuring the future of their communities.
Lesson 1
Tribally led drug and gang task forces increase the effectiveness of law enforcement by improving cooperation and coordination among federal, state, and tribal agencies.
Native American Drug and Gang Initiative Task Force, Intertribal Nations of WisconsinHonoring Nations
Lesson 2
Engaging and educating the public about drug and gang activity is critical to keeping Native communities safe.
Lesson 3
Intertribal law enforcement task forces strengthen Native nations by providing new opportunities for tribes to address their own problems in their own ways.
Honoring Nations: 2016 Awardee
Native American Drug and Gang Initiative Task Force
Intertribal Nations of Wisconsin
This exhibit was curated by the Project on Indigenous Governance and Development, Honoring Nations national awards program with the assistance of the Native American Drug and Gang Initiative Task Force and Intertribal Nations of Wisconsin.
Honoring Nations 2016 Awards Report:
