Abstract
This paper examines the murder of Savanna Greywind, a pregnant Native American woman in Fargo, North Dakota, in August 2017, through the lens of settler colonialism. Liza Black argues that systemic racism, police bias, and historical injustices against Indigenous peoples enabled her White neighbors to abduct and murder Savanna, stealing her unborn child, Haisley Jo. The Fargo police repeatedly dismissed her family’s concerns, criminalized Savanna, and failed to investigate adequately, reflecting broader societal structures that devalue Native lives and privilege White innocence.
The case highlights how settler colonialism perpetuates violence against Indigenous women, normalizes family separation, and maintains racial hierarchies through law enforcement. Savanna’s murder underscores the urgent need for systemic change to address the ongoing injustices faced by Native communities and dismantle the structures of settler colonialism that enable such violence.