The third meeting of the Section 904 Violence Against Women in Indian Country Task Force will take place on June 29, 2009 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on June 30, 2009 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The meeting will take place at the Office of Justice Program Conference Center, 810 Seventh Street, NW., Room 3102, Washington, DC 20531. The public is asked to pre-register for the meeting by contacting OVW Deputy Director Lorrain Edmo (Lorraine.edmo@usdoj.gov, 202-514-8804).

The second meeting of the Section 904 Violence Against Women in Indian Country Task Force convened on December 8 and 9, 2008 at the Agua Caliente Spa Resort Hotel. The National Institute for Justice (NIJ) presented its proposed program of research which incorporated suggestions outlined by task force members at the panel’s first meeting in August. At the first meeting, NIJ presented a primer on the research process, and presenters gave an overview of the relevant research conducted by the federal government to date. Each member of the task force was asked to articulate goals for the program of research.

NIJ and OVW disseminated a summary of the meeting and worked to get the information task force members requested. NIJ and OVW also starting to put together a statistical and social science research panel to review the proposal and task force recommendations. The task force asked NIJ to address three specific areas regarding American Indian and Alaska Native women: declination rates (from the U.S. Attorney’s Office); homicide rates; and sexual assault rates.

The next meeting of the Section 904 Task Force is tentatively scheduled for June 29-30, 2009 in Washington, DC. At the next meeting, panelists members have asked NIJ and OVW to report on the experts and federal stakeholders meetings; and to provide more detailed information on the methodologies being proposed for the large, tribally-representative study. It was also recommended that the next task force meeting discuss a marketing strategy for tribal participation outreach.

Task Force on Violence Against American Indian and Alaska Native Women Convenes in Washington, DC

The Task Force on Violence Against American Indian and Alaska Native Women convened for the first time on August 20-21, 2008 at the U.S. Department of Justice.  OVW Director Cindy Dyer served as the Designated Federal Officer for the Task Force Federal Advisory Committee. OVW Director Dyer was joined by Associate Deputy Director for the Office of Research and Evaluation at the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), Dr. Angela Moore, and OVW’s Deputy Director for Tribal Affairs Lorraine Edmo.

Minutes of the Section 904 Violence Against Women in Indian Country Task Force Meeting.

Title IX of the Violence Against Women Act of 2005 (VAWA 2005) requires the Attorney General to establish a Task Force to assist the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) to develop and implement a program of research on violence against Indian women, including domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and murder. The program will evaluate the effectiveness of the Federal, state, and tribal response to violence against Indian women, and will propose recommendations to improve the government response. The Section 904 Task Force will meet semi-annually to provide advice and recommendations to NIJ regarding the conduct of the program. The Attorney General will submit a report on the program’s findings and recommendations to the United States Committee on Indian Affairs, and to the United States House and Senate Judiciary Committees within two years after the enactment of Title IX.

The Attorney General, acting through the Director of the Office on Violence Against Women, established the Section 904 Task Force on March 31, 2008.

The Section 904 Task Force is composed of the following members who represent a diverse cross section of national tribal domestic violence and sexual assault organizations, tribal governments, and national tribal organizations.  The first meeting of the Task Force will be held in Washington, DC in the summer of 2008.

Office on Violence Against Women & National Institute of Justice
Baseline Study Task Force on Violence Against American Indian and Alaska Native Women

Members

Ms. Jacqueline Agtuca
Director of Public Policy, Clan Star, Inc.
San Francisco, California

Ms. Karen Artichoker
Director of Administration and Shelter Services, Cangleska, Inc.
Pine Ridge, South Dakota

Ms. Cheryl Neskahi Coan
Consultant
Tucson, Arizona

Ms. Shannon Cozzoni
First Assistant Attorney General, Muscogee (Creek) Nation
Okmulgee, Oklahoma

Ms. Virginia Davis
Associate Counsel, National Congress of American Indians
Washington, DC

Ms. Jolanda Ingram
Director, Niwhongwh xw STOP the Violence Coalition
Hoopa, California

Ms. Pamela Iron
Executive Director, National Indian Women’s Health Resource Center
Tulsa, Oklahoma

Mr. Dana Grey Jim
Staff Attorney, Cherokee Nation, Secretary, Oklahoma Indian Bar Association
Tahlequah, Oklahoma

The Honorable Billy Jo (“BJ”) Jones
Director, Northern Plains Tribal Judicial Training Institute, Chief Judge, Sisseton-Wahpeton Tribe
Rapid City, South Dakota

Ms. Lori Jump
Program Manager, Advocacy Resource Center, Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians Victim Services Program
Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan

Ms. Bernadette LaSarte
Program Director, Coeur d’Alene Tribal Domestic Violence Program
Plummer, Idaho

Ms. Patricia McGeshick
Program Director, Ft. Peck Family Violence Resource Center
Poplar, Montana

Ms. Denise Morris
President and Chief Executive Officer, Alaska Native Justice Center, Inc.
Anchorage, Alaska

Mr. Arlen Quetawki
Zuni Pueblo Law Enforcement Consultant
Pueblo of Zuni, New Mexico

Ms. Vikki Shirley
First Lady, Navajo Nation
Window Rock, Arizona

Ms. Nancy J. Soctomah
Project Coordinator, Peaceful Relations Domestic Violence Response Program
Pleasant Point Reservation, Maine

Senator Theresa Two Bulls
Senator, South Dakota State Senate, Oglala Sioux tribal prosecutor
Pine Ridge, South Dakota

(1) IN GENERAL.-The National Institute of Justice, in consultation with the Office on Violence Against Women, shall conduct a national baseline study to examine violence against Indian women in Indian country.
(2) SCOPE.-

(A) IN GENERAL.-The study shall examine violence committed against Indian women, including-

(i) domestic violence;
(ii) dating violence;
(iii) sexual assault;
(iv) stalking; and
(v) murder.
(B) EVALUATION.-The study shall evaluate the effectiveness of Federal, State, tribal, and local responses to the violations described in subparagraph (A) committed against Indian women.
(C) RECOMMENDATIONS.-The study shall propose recommendations to improve the effectiveness of Federal, State, tribal, and local responses to the violation described in subparagraph (A) committed against Indian women.
(3) TASK FORCE.-
(A) IN GENERAL.-The Attorney General, acting through the Director of the Office on Violence Against Women, shall establish a task force to assist in the development and implementation of the study under paragraph (1) and guide implementation of the recommendation in paragraph (2)(C).
(B) MEMBERS.-The Director shall appoint to the task force representatives from-
(i) national tribal domestic violence and sexual assault nonprofit organizations;
(ii) tribal governments; and
(iii) the national tribal organizations.
(4) REPORT.-Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall submit to the Committee on Indian Affairs of the Senate, the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate, and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives a report that describes the study.
(5) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.-There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2007 and 2008, to remain available until expended.

(1) IN GENERAL.-The Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Indian Health Service and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall conduct a study to obtain a national projection of-
(A) the incidence of injuries and homicides resulting from domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking committed against American Indian and Alaska Native women; and
(B) the cost of providing health care for the injuries described in subparagraph (A).
(2) REPORT.-Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall submit to the Committee on Indian Affairs of the Senate, the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate, and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives a report that describes the findings made in the study and recommends health care strategies for reducing the incidence and cost of the injuries described in paragraph (1).
(3) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.-There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $500,000 for each of fiscal years 2007 and 2008, to remain available until expended.

Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005 (VAWA 2005)

OVW Indian Country Fact Sheet