Peri R. Pourier

Peri Pourier

Representative Peri Pourier is a United States Navy veteran and fierce advocate not only for South Dakota Indigenous communities, but also for improved healthcare for all.

She has significant background in intelligence, first as an Intelligence Analyst with the US Navy for eight years, where she garnered numerous commendations providing vital insight into complex socio-cultural issues and the Global War on Terrorism. This was followed by six years of background investigative experience as a small business owner. Peri was elected to the South Dakota House of Representatives in 2019 and currently serves as the Chair of the Native American Caucus of the South Dakota Democratic Party.

A member is the Oglala tribal group, she takes on issues among Native American communities and Indian reservations in South Dakota, with the goal of bridging the gap and addressing inequalities among Native Americans. Most notably, she championed the establishment of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Liaison office under the South Dakota Attorney General’s Office, the first of its kind in the United States. She has been a member of the American Board for Certification in Homeland Security since 2010.