U.S. Attorney’s Office welcomes lawyer to prosecute missing, murdered indigenous people crimes
By Terry Murry on Friday, March 1st, 2024 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
YAKIMA – Eastern Washington U.S. Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref announced Thursday that Bree R. Black Horse has joined the Yakima office as an assistant U.S. attorney dedicated to prosecuting cases involving missing and murdered indigenous people.
Black Horse will serve throughout the Northwest region – including Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, and California. The Oregon DOJ in Portland confirms that Black Horse will be working on those cases as needed in its offices in Oregon as well.
An enrolled member of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, Black Horse worked in a law firm advising tribal governments and enterprises on all aspects of federal, state, and tribal law, including tribal sovereignty, economic development, treaty rights, and complex Indian country litigation. She is also a former legal aid attorney and public defender for the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation.
“For far too long indigenous men, women, and children have suffered violence at rates higher than many other demographics,” she said in a prepared statement. “As I step into this role, I look forward to working with our local, state, and tribal partners to identify concrete ways of reducing violence and improving public safety in Indian country and elsewhere.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office plans to hold formal swearing-in ceremony for Black Horse. Additional details will be released once the schedule is set.
