WATCH: Burgum says missing and murdered Indigenous women are an ‘unseen tragedy’

Doug Burgum, nominee for secretary of the interior, said Thursday at his confirmation hearing held by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee that the fact that thousands of Native American women are missing or have been murdered is a national “unseen tragedy.”

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“It seems that we lose a college student at spring break, it’s a Netflix series and the whole nation knows her name personally, and then we have the same individual tragedies that happen over and over again in Indian Country, and people aren’t even aware that it’s going on,” Burgum said. “We’ve got to change our entire approach to this.”

The comment was in response to a question by Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., who asked how Burgum would approach federal collaboration with tribal law enforcement.

Burgum also noted there are a lack of training centers and agencies need to find ways to increase recruitment.

Burgum is a former corporate executive and governor of North Dakota who championed oil and gas drilling. President-elect Donald Trump has also tapped him to lead the new National Energy Council.