Will your community be represented at the national table by your Tribal Leaders? Ask them! The U.S. Department of Justice invites Tribal Leaders to join the 14th Annual Government-to-Government Violence Against Women Tribal Consultation. August 21-22, 2019 in New Buffalo, Michigan.

The purpose of the consultation is to solicit recommendations from tribal government leaders on three topic areas:

• Administering grant funds appropriated for tribal governments and programs created to benefit tribal governments by the original Violence Against Women Act and subsequent legislation;
• Enhancing the safety of Indian women from domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; and
• Strengthening the Federal response to crimes of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

The Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) tribal grantees are strongly encouraged to accompany/collaborate with their Tribal Leadership for this event in drafting appropriate testimony and briefing on protocols for VAW tribal consultation. There will be time for additional testimony and recommendations for those who would like to submit to OVW.

Written testimony and documentation may be submitted to the OVW by September 30, 2019.

Meaningful consultation is of principal importance in developing legislation and policies that are inclusive of tribal representation and input. To create and sustain meaningful informed consultation, CSVANW puts forward recommendations for our tribal leaders to utilize that can support broad level policies, strategies and systems to advance the well-being of Native women and children.

Here are some recommendations that you may use to and share with your Tribal Leaders:

Impact of Sexual Violence in Tribal Communities

Sex Trafficking in Tribal Communities

Impact of Violence on LGBTQ Youth & Native Youth

Ending Intimate Partner Violence in Tribal Communities

Please submit all testimonies to Shanda Tubman at [email protected]

If you are a non-elected/appointed Tribal member wanting to submit written testimony, you must submit either an authorizing resolution from your Tribal Council or a letter from the Tribal Chairman authorizing you to offer testimony on behalf of your tribe. Please scan and send this document to [email protected].

If you are unable to scan this document, you can fax your authorization letter to (703) 493-9881

Sherriann C. Moore, Deputy Director of Tribal Affairs
U.S. Department of Justice
Office on Violence Against Women (OVW)
145 N. St., NE, Suite 10W.121
Washington, DC 20530

For questions, please direct inquiries to: [email protected] or [email protected]

Let your voice be known!

We ask you to post the social media memes (provided below) on your social media platforms and tag your Tribal Leaders! Tag CSVANW in your post so we can reshare your post and encourage others to do the same!

Use the hashtag #DearTribalLeaders and encourage your Tribal Leaders to attend and submit written testimonies/recommendations to the 14th Annual Government-to-Government VAW Tribal Consultation.

Let’s work together to make sure our tribes and Pueblos are represented at the table!

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Ask your Tribal Leaders to call on Senators to act NOW and vote on the House version of H.R. 1585, the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2019 (VAWA)

Tell your Tribal Leaders Almost three months ago, the House passed H.R.1585, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2019, with strong bipartisan support. But it is time for Senators to act now on a substantially similar bill that maintains important protections for vulnerable survivors while making critical enhancements to prevent and respond to domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking.

Since its enactment in 1995, each reauthorization of VAWA, has resulted in significant victories in support of the tribal authority and secured resources needed for increasing the safety of Native women across the United States. H.R. 1585 will resume to build on these victories by:

• Restoring tribal jurisdiction over non-Indians for specific crimes involving children and elders, sexual violence, stalking, sex trafficking, obstruction of justice, and assaults against law enforcement and corrections personnel
• Creating a $3 million authorization for DOJ’s Tribal Access Program (TAP)
• Directing the Government Accountability Organization (GAO) to submit a report on the response of law enforcement agencies to reports of missing or murdered Indians, including recommendations for legislative solutions.
• Changing the definition of land eligible for a tribe’s jurisdiction to include all land within any Alaska Native village, for the Alaska tribal jurisdiction pilot project.

These important enhancements are needed NOW to protect Native women and children!