Tribal Resources

This webinar focuses on the field of alcohol and substance abuse and violence against women. The intersection of these topics creates a complex and multi-faceted situation. It poses unique challenges to advocate working with women and children. We know there are ways of similarities between these two such as they both involve power and control dynamics, they both impact entire families. They both thrive in an environment of shame, silence, and isolation. And they both carry society great stigma and they both involve denial systems including minimizing and rationalizing. Yet domestic violence and substance abuse are very different and require different safety and intervention.

Methamphetamine has been identified as one of the largest threats to public safety in Indian Country. Tribal sources have attributed it to higher rates of domestic violence, assaults, burglaries, and child abuse and neglect on reservations and in tribal communities. 74% of tribal police forces rank meth as the greatest drug threat to their communities; 40-50% of violent crime cases investigated by the FBI in Indian country involve meth in some capacity; and 64% of tribal police indicate an increase in domestic violence and assault/battery. The complex nature of criminal jurisdiction on Indian reservations, along with historically under funded and understaffed health care, treatment facilities and law enforcement have resulted in major challenges for tribes to address this problem. In this webinar panel presentation you will learn more about meth; its’ impact on domestic violence programs and shelters; what larger environmental and public safety concerns come into play; and what tribes are doing to meet this challenge.

One control tactic used by abuses involves controlling the finances of the household. Abusers may limit the survivor’s options by not allowing access to checking accounts, credit card, other sources of money or even financial independence. Our society tends to focus on getting the survivor away from the perpetrator, but we provide very little in the way of financial assistance to allow her to remain financially independent. This session will provide information about economic abuse and emerging practices or programs addressing this serious issue.

In the beginning, the movement to end violence against women started as a grass-roots effort of women helping women. Soon shelters were started to create a safe, temporary space for women and their children who were fleeing the violence. With the advent of shelters came the institutional process of housing women in rule-driven environments. The subject of rules in the shelter is a topic that comes up again and again. This timely and important webinar asks the question, “What would happen if there were no rules? Please join tribal domestic violence shelter directors and advocates as we explore the multitude of issues and challenges that come into play such as: age/sex of children; chores; medication; alcohol and drug use; confidentiality; food; curfew; support groups and sign-in/sign-out sheets.

Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month (TDVAM) in February is a national effort to raise awareness and protect teens from violence. How can you make a difference? By encouraging your school, community-based organizations, tribal leaders, parents, and teens to join together to prevent teen dating violence– both at home and in our communities. Those of us in Native communities often hear jokes about “Indian lovin” as waking up with a hickey and a black eye—that’s not love, it’s dating violence. The NativeLove project gives us the opportunity to reframe what NativeLove really is, so we can change our thoughts and actions to restore how we love, honor, and treat each other, which is characterized by respect, kindness, and compassion.

The National Congress of American Indians Task Force on Violence Against Women will provide an update on efforts to remove barriers preventing American Indian tribes and Alaska Native villages from accessing the Crime Victim Fund. Unlike state and territorial governments, tribal governments do not receive an annual allocation from the Crime Victims Fund to help crime victims in their communities. American Indians and Alaska Natives experience the highest crime victimization rates in the country. Complex jurisdictional issues, along with the cultural diversity of tribes and the basic reality of geography, pose significant challenges for tribal crime victims. Tribal governments, like other governments, are responsible for meeting the needs of victims in their communities. Unfortunately, tribal governments often have few or no resources available to provide services to victims. Unlike state and territorial governments, who receive an annual formula distribution from the Crime Victim Fund, Indian tribes are only able to access these funds via pass-through grants from the states or by competing for very limited resources administered by the Department of Justice. According to DOJ, from 2010–2014, state governments passed through 0.5% of available funds to programs serving tribal victims—less than $2.5 million annually nationwide. In 2013—the year with the highest number of state subgrants to date—more than 60% of states with Indian tribes made no subgrants to tribal programs. Congress created the Crime Victims Fund in 1984 based on the idea that money that the government collects from criminals should be used to help those victimized by crime. Fines paid by convicted federal criminal offenders finance the Fund, not taxpayer dollars. In FY 2015 the CVF distribution was $2.3 billion and in FY 2016 the distribution was $2.6 billion.