Hello people,
I wanted to share important news posted on the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center (niwrc.org), and ask for your support!
”Restoring Justice: Addressing Violence in Native Communities through VAWA Title IX Special Jurisdiction,” was the topic of a hearing held by the Senate’s Committee on Indian Affairs on December 8.
Dianne Feinstein, Joni Ernst, Dick Durbin, and Lisa Murkowski all made statements in support of reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act on the Senate floor on December 16. There will be a bipartisan bill introduced in the Senate next month to put non-Native offenders of stalking, sex trafficking, sexual violence and crimes against minors as well as offenses against law enforcement personnel of the Tribes under special Tribal criminal jurisdiction. Tribes in Alaska will be allowed to exercise special Tribal criminal jurisdiction as part of a pilot program set up under the law.
The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2021 was enacted by the House of Representatives in March (H.R. 1620). It was reintroduced by Reps. Jerrold Nadler, Sheila Jackson Lee, and Brian Fitzpatrick after it expired in 2018. (D-NY). Reaffirming tribal nations’ inherent sovereign ability to hold non-Indian perpetrators responsible in situations of child abuse, elder abuse, sexual assault, stalking, sex trafficking, and attack on tribal law enforcement officials builds on the progress made in the 2013 VAWA renewal. As a result of collaboration with national and tribal advocacy groups, H.R. 1620 contains essential resources for tribes to administer VAWA.
Everyone needs to contact their Senators and tell them to reauthorize VAWA that will restore Tribal jurisdiction over non-Indian perpetrators of sexual assault, including elder and child abuse. This reauthorization will also curb sex trafficking, stalking of women, and assault of Tribal law enforcement officers. This will put the teeth back into Tribal jurisdiction.
This post is a followup to the the Get Out Of Jail Free article is posted on October 29, 2021. You can read it here.
The time for action is now!
Until next time.