It’s been a year since the family of a young Lakota woman learned that the star athlete and musician had been killed during a high-speed pursuit by Rosebud Sioux tribal police. As Feather Rae Colombe’s memorial is held this weekend, her family still has questions about what led to her death.
When word spread across the Rosebud Sioux Reservation that Feather Rae Colombe had been killed during a high-speed pursuit in May 2014, her friends and family were shocked.
The 20-year old Lakota woman had no traffic violations and had never been in trouble with the law. She’d been a star high school athlete. Feather Rae had also gained some renown after taking part in the award-winning student-documentary “More Than That” – a Lakota response to critical media observations of life on South Dakota reservations.
One year later, Jackie Colombe still wants answers to why Feather Rae was being chased, why she wasn’t allowed to see her granddaughter’s remains before they were sent for an autopsy and why she still hasn’t received Feather Rae’s cell phone.
“There was like 12 classified documents that they didn’t send,” Jackie Colombe explains. “We didn’t have any video cams. We didn’t get her pictures out of her camera. So, we were mad about that. And then they didn’t have the autopsy.”
Jackie Colombe also questions why tribal police continued the chase that killed Feather Rae since they admitted they knew who she was. Rosebud Sioux tribal police did not return calls, but FBI spokesperson Kyle Loven had this to say.
“What I can tell you about the Colombe matter is that the investigation has been concluded by the FBI,” Loven noted. “And there has been a declination as far as any potential prosecution. Our findings were made to the United States attorney’s office. And there’ll be no prosecution forthcoming with regard to this investigation.”
Meanwhile, the Colombe family has hired an attorney to investigate the death of Feather Rae Colombe.
Related links:
Family Questions Lakota Woman's Death Following High-Speed Pursuit 06/10/14
http://listen.sdpb.org/post/family-questions-lakota-womans-death-following-high-speed-pursuit\\
Lakota students offer rebuttal to Sawyer documentary
Dakota Digest - 02/06/2012
http://www.sdpb.sd.gov/newsite/shows.aspx?MediaID=60420&Parmtype=RADIO&ParmAccessLevel=sdpb-all
Award-winning student documentary “More Than That
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhribaNXr7A