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Resources: Victims' Rights and Safety

 

Resources, Tribal Law and Policy Institute

  • Victim’s Rights: VAWA 2022 Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction Series

       This publication explains the importance of crime victim’s rights codes, the key rights that are often included, and       

       provides some examples of existing Tribal code provisions. The Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010 (TLOA) and       

       the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 (VAWA 2013) and 2022 (VAWA 2022) focus on the scope of

       Tribal jurisdiction and require certain due process protections for defendants in Tribal courts. Even though it is not     

       required by Federal law, Tribes who are implementing these laws should also consider enacting Tribal laws that protect

       and provide a voice to victims of crime in Tribal communities if these laws are not already in place.​

Resources, generally

  • The National Tribal Clearinghouse on Sexual Assault (NTCSA) is a comprehensive resource hub that supports our Tribal communities with resources and education dedicated to improving the response to sexual assault.

  • Victim Services - Promising Practices in Indian Country

    • This resource highlights promising practices for assisting victims of violence and abuse in twelve Indian Country locations throughout the United States. Each description includes the program’s keys to success, relevant demographic data, and a contact for further information. (2004)​

  • Maze of Injustice: The Failure to Protect Indigenous Women from Sexual Violence in the USA 

  • The Indian Nations Conference is the oldest and largest DOJ Indian conference to serve the unique needs of crime victims in Indian country. This website provides information on the upcoming conference and resource materials from past conferences.

  • Not Invisible Act Commission Report (2023) 

    • On Oct. 10, 2020, the Not Invisible Act of 2019 was signed into law as the first bill in history to be introduced and passed by four U.S. congressional members enrolled in their respective federally recognized Tribes, led by Secretary Deb Haaland during her time in Congress. Secretary Haaland, in coordination with Attorney General Merrick Garland, is now working to implement the Not Invisible Act. They established the Not Invisible Act Commission, a cross jurisdictional advisory committee composed of law enforcement, Tribal leaders, federal partners, service providers, family members of missing and murdered individuals, and most importantly — survivors.

    • The Commission’s purpose is to develop recommendations through the work of six subcommittees focused on improving intergovernmental coordination and establishing best practices for state, Tribal and federal law enforcement to bolster resources for survivors and victim’s families, and combatting the epidemic of missing persons, murder and trafficking of American Indian and Alaska Native peoples, as specified under the law. Pursuant to Section 4 of the Not Invisible Act of 2019 (Public Law 116-166), the Commission transmitted this report with findings and recommendations of the Not Invisible Act Commission (“the Commission”).

    • As part of its work, the Commission held seven in-person field hearings across the United States and one multi-day virtual national hearing. The Commission received testimony from victims, survivors, family members, advocates, law enforcement officers, and others through in-person and written testimony. In all, almost 600 attended the hearings and 260 individuals gave testimony to the Commission, sharing their expertise, their experiences, their suffering and hope, and their recommendations to address and reduce the tragic consequences of the crisis of missing, murdered, and trafficked American Indians and Alaska Natives.

 

Not Invisible Act Commission Report (2023) 

Pursuant to Section 4 of the Not Invisible Act of 2019 (Public Law 116-166), the Commission transmitted this report with findings and recommendations of the Not Invisible Act Commission (“the Commission”).

On Oct. 10, 2020, the Not Invisible Act of 2019 was signed into law as the first bill in history to be introduced and passed by four U.S. congressional members enrolled in their respective federally recognized Tribes, led by Secretary Deb Haaland during her time in Congress.

Secretary Haaland, in coordination with Attorney General Merrick Garland, is now working to implement the Not Invisible Act. They established the Not Invisible Act Commission, a cross jurisdictional advisory committee composed of law enforcement, Tribal leaders, federal partners, service providers, family members of missing and murdered individuals, and most importantly — survivors.

The Commission’s purpose is to develop recommendations through the work of six subcommittees focused on improving intergovernmental coordination and establishing best practices for state, Tribal and federal law enforcement to bolster resources for survivors and victim’s families, and combatting the epidemic of missing persons, murder and trafficking of American Indian and Alaska Native peoples, as specified under the law. 

As part of its work, the Commission held seven in-person field hearings across the United States and one multi-day virtual national hearing. The Commission received testimony from victims, survivors, family members, advocates, law enforcement officers, and others through in-person and written testimony. In all, almost 600 attended the hearings and 260 individuals gave testimony to the Commission, sharing their expertise, their experiences, their suffering and hope, and their recommendations to address and reduce the tragic consequences of the crisis of missing, murdered, and trafficked American Indians and Alaska Natives.

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DISCLAIMER

This project was supported by Grant No. 15JOVW-22-GK-03330-MUMU awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed on this website are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Justice.

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