Post by Dine'Luvlee on Jul 24, 2005 13:18:06 GMT -5
GREEN BAY, Wis. - Native women leaders are calling for continued funding and stronger options for prosecuting non-Indian offenders in Indian country as part of the Violence Against Women Act reauthorization, an update of the original federal act passed in 1994.
The act will expand funding for existing tribal programs and shelters and provide resources for the development of new programs. Included in the new programs would be services for women over 50, women with disabilities, funding for rape crisis centers, training for health care workers to recognize and respond to assault situations and the creation of housing solutions for survivors.
''Violence against women is not traditional to Native cultures,'' said Karen Artichoker, director of the Sacred Circle National Resource Center to End Violence Against Native Women. ''Recognizing the sovereignty of Indian nations will increase safety of women and create stable communities free of violence.''
Tribal leaders who attended the National Congress of American Indians' mid-year conference in Green Bay June 12 - 15 supported the VAWA. NCAI President Tex Hall said educating tribal members of the law's importance is just one of the goals of the conference and supported the efforts of a task force devoted to ending domestic violence.
Tribal leaders are recognizing that Indigenous women experience domestic violence at a rate higher than any other group in the United States. One in four women nationwide will experience at least one physical assault by a partner, one in three American Indian and Alaska Native women will be raped during their lifetimes, and six in 10 will be assaulted. Indian women are stalked at twice the rate of any other population, said Juana Majel-Dixon, chairman of National Congress of American Indians' Task Force to End Violence Against Indian Women.
More than 75 percent of assaults against Indian women are committed by non-Indian perpetrators. However, tribes have no jurisdiction over non-Indians and must depend on the U.S. Attorney's offices to prosecute non-Indian offenders.
Native leaders understand the need for improved response by law enforcement and tribal judicial systems in addressing a jurisdictional divide that allows offenders to continue. ''We speak now in a unified voice because the programs in VAWA expire on Sept. 30,'' Majel-Dixon said. ''Allowing VAWA to expire would send a devastating message to American Indian and Alaska Native women and a green light to perpetrators of violent crimes,'' Majel-Dixon said.
The impact of VAWA was powerful as Indian tribes were finally given the tools to assist women and children and hold perpetrators accountable, said Artichoker. ''The increase in resources [is] needed today to build on the last 10 years of work. The impact of the resources can be seen in our communities. We expect even more dynamic work to take place with the reauthorization of VAWA,'' she said.
The act has a long history of women advocating for shelters through grassroots efforts while organizing momentum in Washington, D.C. to pass the legislation that provided funding for shelters and programs. Native women lead the effort by establishing coalitions while they continued to fight a daily battle to keep shelter doors open.
Cecilia Fire Thunder, the first female president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, echoed the comments of many Native advocates who said the resources of the 1994 act were vital to Indian country in sustaining existing domestic violence shelters and expanding efforts. ''The reauthorization gives credibility to the work. The set-aside for Indian tribes is a victory that was accomplished by the voices of many Native women in Indian county who gained the sophistication to use the existing process. It took many years of front line work to understand how to accomplish this,'' Fire Thunder said.
''We need to applaud those front-line Native women workers who were able to get this as far as it has come. It didn't happen overnight. It was about Indian women working together locally, regionally and nationally to make this happen. We need to give thanks to all the non-Native women who have been our partners and who brought greater awareness of to the special needs of Indian women in Indian country,'' Fire Thunder said.
''The Violence Against Women Act is an important piece of legislation for accountability, strengthening tribal court systems and, most importantly, the advocacy work that needs to take place. It is the key to providing care and support to Indian women and helping them strengthen themselves, she said. ''The Violence Against Women Act in Indian country has to be widely supported by all tribal leaders in supporting the work of all tribal members to end violence against women. VAWA may not give money to all Indian tribes, but it is going to provide resources to sustain existing programs and open the doors to new programs.''
As the tribes met and talked about the need to support the legislation and expand it to keep Native women safe from predators, Alaska Natives were struggling to keep open the doors to its lone Native shelter in Emmonak, Alaska. The shelter was the very first Native shelter in the nation.
Geri Simon, volunteer attorney with the Alaska Native Women's Coalition, talked about the very real image of violence that Native women face every day. ''The Violence Against Women Act comes at a crucial time for the Alaska Native Women's Coalition. We are picking up momentum in our efforts to protect the safety of Alaska Native women. However, in the past few weeks, two Alaska Native women were murdered by their partners in southwest Alaska,'' she said. ''We have a lot of work in front of us and the reauthorization of VAWA will go a long way in helping us achieve our mission of protecting the safety of Alaska Native women and children,'' said Simon.
''Recognizing the sovereignty of Indian nations will increase [the] safety of women and create stable communities free of violence. Women across the nation are writing letters to their congressional delegations, hoping they will muster the support necessary to pass the reauthorization keeping Native shelter doors open and providing a remedy to keeping non-Indian offenders from committing more crimes.
''One day our daughters and granddaughters will live in a tribal community free of violence,'' Artichoker said.
Kay Humphrey is a public awareness advocate for Sacred Circle National Resource Center to End Violence Against Native Women.
The act will expand funding for existing tribal programs and shelters and provide resources for the development of new programs. Included in the new programs would be services for women over 50, women with disabilities, funding for rape crisis centers, training for health care workers to recognize and respond to assault situations and the creation of housing solutions for survivors.
''Violence against women is not traditional to Native cultures,'' said Karen Artichoker, director of the Sacred Circle National Resource Center to End Violence Against Native Women. ''Recognizing the sovereignty of Indian nations will increase safety of women and create stable communities free of violence.''
Tribal leaders who attended the National Congress of American Indians' mid-year conference in Green Bay June 12 - 15 supported the VAWA. NCAI President Tex Hall said educating tribal members of the law's importance is just one of the goals of the conference and supported the efforts of a task force devoted to ending domestic violence.
Tribal leaders are recognizing that Indigenous women experience domestic violence at a rate higher than any other group in the United States. One in four women nationwide will experience at least one physical assault by a partner, one in three American Indian and Alaska Native women will be raped during their lifetimes, and six in 10 will be assaulted. Indian women are stalked at twice the rate of any other population, said Juana Majel-Dixon, chairman of National Congress of American Indians' Task Force to End Violence Against Indian Women.
More than 75 percent of assaults against Indian women are committed by non-Indian perpetrators. However, tribes have no jurisdiction over non-Indians and must depend on the U.S. Attorney's offices to prosecute non-Indian offenders.
Native leaders understand the need for improved response by law enforcement and tribal judicial systems in addressing a jurisdictional divide that allows offenders to continue. ''We speak now in a unified voice because the programs in VAWA expire on Sept. 30,'' Majel-Dixon said. ''Allowing VAWA to expire would send a devastating message to American Indian and Alaska Native women and a green light to perpetrators of violent crimes,'' Majel-Dixon said.
The impact of VAWA was powerful as Indian tribes were finally given the tools to assist women and children and hold perpetrators accountable, said Artichoker. ''The increase in resources [is] needed today to build on the last 10 years of work. The impact of the resources can be seen in our communities. We expect even more dynamic work to take place with the reauthorization of VAWA,'' she said.
The act has a long history of women advocating for shelters through grassroots efforts while organizing momentum in Washington, D.C. to pass the legislation that provided funding for shelters and programs. Native women lead the effort by establishing coalitions while they continued to fight a daily battle to keep shelter doors open.
Cecilia Fire Thunder, the first female president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, echoed the comments of many Native advocates who said the resources of the 1994 act were vital to Indian country in sustaining existing domestic violence shelters and expanding efforts. ''The reauthorization gives credibility to the work. The set-aside for Indian tribes is a victory that was accomplished by the voices of many Native women in Indian county who gained the sophistication to use the existing process. It took many years of front line work to understand how to accomplish this,'' Fire Thunder said.
''We need to applaud those front-line Native women workers who were able to get this as far as it has come. It didn't happen overnight. It was about Indian women working together locally, regionally and nationally to make this happen. We need to give thanks to all the non-Native women who have been our partners and who brought greater awareness of to the special needs of Indian women in Indian country,'' Fire Thunder said.
''The Violence Against Women Act is an important piece of legislation for accountability, strengthening tribal court systems and, most importantly, the advocacy work that needs to take place. It is the key to providing care and support to Indian women and helping them strengthen themselves, she said. ''The Violence Against Women Act in Indian country has to be widely supported by all tribal leaders in supporting the work of all tribal members to end violence against women. VAWA may not give money to all Indian tribes, but it is going to provide resources to sustain existing programs and open the doors to new programs.''
As the tribes met and talked about the need to support the legislation and expand it to keep Native women safe from predators, Alaska Natives were struggling to keep open the doors to its lone Native shelter in Emmonak, Alaska. The shelter was the very first Native shelter in the nation.
Geri Simon, volunteer attorney with the Alaska Native Women's Coalition, talked about the very real image of violence that Native women face every day. ''The Violence Against Women Act comes at a crucial time for the Alaska Native Women's Coalition. We are picking up momentum in our efforts to protect the safety of Alaska Native women. However, in the past few weeks, two Alaska Native women were murdered by their partners in southwest Alaska,'' she said. ''We have a lot of work in front of us and the reauthorization of VAWA will go a long way in helping us achieve our mission of protecting the safety of Alaska Native women and children,'' said Simon.
''Recognizing the sovereignty of Indian nations will increase [the] safety of women and create stable communities free of violence. Women across the nation are writing letters to their congressional delegations, hoping they will muster the support necessary to pass the reauthorization keeping Native shelter doors open and providing a remedy to keeping non-Indian offenders from committing more crimes.
''One day our daughters and granddaughters will live in a tribal community free of violence,'' Artichoker said.
Kay Humphrey is a public awareness advocate for Sacred Circle National Resource Center to End Violence Against Native Women.