A film you should see -Boys Men and Healing

This is a ten minute excerpt from a documentary about boys and men healing from sexual abuse.



If you're interested in obtaining the film, go to the Big Voice Pictures Web site. Unfortunately, there's an ad at the very end of the clip, so when the theme changes dramatically you can click the stop button!

National Indian Nations Conference Dec 9-11

Thanks Sarah Deer for this announcement:

The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), Office of Justice Programs, within the U.S. Department of Justice is pleased to announce the 12th National Indian Nations Conference: Justice for Victims of Crime. The Conference will be held December 9 — 11, 2010, in Palm Springs California, with the theme, "Walking in Harmony: Honoring Victim Voices to Achieve Safety, Justice & Healing." This year's conference is coordinated again by the Tribal Law and Policy Institute under a grant from OVC.

The purpose of the 12th National Indian Nations Conference — the largest U.S. Department of Justice sponsored Indian Nations conference — is to bring together Native American victims, victim advocates, tribal leaders, victim service providers, community volunteers, prosecutors, judicial and law enforcement personnel, family violence and sexual assault specialists, medical providers, social services and mental health personnel, probation/corrections, criminal justice and juvenile justice personnel, as well as federal and state agency representatives to share their knowledge, experiences and ideas for developing programs that serve the unique needs of crime victims in Indian Country.

For more information or to register:

http://ovcinc.org

TEDx Talk by Photographer Aaron Huey

This is a very touching photo documentary of Lakota history that Aaron Huey presented at the TEDx conference this year. The photos are of the Pine Ridge Reservation with narration of the history of genocide. It's really excellent. Especially pay attention to his last comment. I agree wholeheartedly.

Bear Chief: Abuse survivors must be able to tell their stories

Thanks Jessica Yee for forwarding this article from Indian Country Today. I'm just going to put the whole thing here, since it's an important message.

By Ken Bear Chief
Story Published: Sep 20, 2010
Story Updated: Sep 17, 2010
I wish we lived in a perfect world where every Indian child has felt loved, valued and accepted; and where they could have all been safe from harm and abuse by others. But, sadly this is not our history. Treaties were made and broken, we were confined to reservations, our traditional ways of life were taken away from us, and our independence was replaced by new laws, a new religion, and a new culture.

We may have all been of different tribes, languages, traditions, and our own religious beliefs and practices, but one thing binds us together, we all suffered the same holocaust, and genocidal events. At the residential schools every kindness, every act of aggression, control and dominance, was done in order to accomplish a goal, “to kill the Indian, and save the man.”

After more than 100 years of abuse at the residential schools, the history of that method is finally being exposed in all its ugliness. The historical telling of this period of Native American history has been told by the government and the religious orders given the task of accomplishing the integration of Indians into white society. There is also our own account of what happened to our people during those turbulent years and to the children who were taken from their families and sent to the residential schools.
I wish we lived in a perfect world where every Indian child has felt loved, valued and accepted. What was stolen from the survivors of rape and molestation at the residential schools and missions was their sense of control and trust – in their world and in their relationships. The harm and loss was so great that in most cases abuse survivors were never fully able to trust or feel safe again. Survivors of sexual abuse not only have difficulty trusting others, but live their lives suffering from the effects of trauma caused by childhood abuse. This often created a spiral into a lifetime of abuse – emotional, sexual or physical, and they often suffered manifestations of abuse which include depression, anxiety, anger, fear, and substance abuse to name of few of these trauma traits.

What I have learned is that this has created a multi-generational cycle of abuse that affects our reservation communities to this day. We must recognize this fact, and begin a community healing to restore our balance and well-being by using our own traditional ways and by speaking openly about this so we can begin restoring our communities from within.

Recently, many victims of childhood abuse started coming forward and seeking justice for the physical and sexual abuses they suffered at the residential schools. There have been efforts to do this in the past with limited success and much failure. But now, they are being represented by Tamaki Law Offices of Yakima, Wash., and other law firms in the Northwest and in South Dakota who are knowledgeable and committed to their Native American clients.

Most childhood sexual abuses committed at the residential and boarding schools are unreported. The reasons for this are varied: Lack of support by the families of the victims or the community; the victims are unaware that they may still have a right to seek justice; there are deadlines to file claims before they become time barred; or that a state has changed its laws affecting the rights of victims as was done in South Dakota.

Even when victims of abuse come forward, reactions of others in Indian communities can exacerbate the harm. Most people are not comfortable with this reality. They would prefer to ignore or downplay its impact on the survivor, or feel this should remain in the past. Responses from friends and family range from silence, to placing inappropriate blame and responsibility on the victim, even accusing them of lying, or that they are causing embarrassment for the families and the community, resulting in wrongly placed self-blame by the victims which only adds to their pain.

Survivors of abuse need to be able to tell their story. Otherwise, subconsciously and cognitively their emotions are frozen in the past. Their lives were irreversibly changed due to the sexual, physical and emotional abuses they suffered at the mission schools. Either by coming forward in the legal process or by talking about it with others begins the healing process and they start to pull their lives together and create a new restored being. I believe self-worth can be restored after trauma. How we all share in the responsibility of helping our Native American brothers and sisters who were victims of abuse to heal is up to each of us individually. Ultimately, we must always remember what our elders taught us. Mine told me to treat one another, and ourselves, with respect and compassion.

Ken Bear Chief, Gros Ventre, Nooksack, Nez Perce, is a paralegal/victim liaison with Tamaki Law Offices of Yakima, Wash. Since 2008, he has been investigating clergy sexual abuse of Native Americans who attended the Catholic/Jesuit/Oblate operated residential schools during the period of 1940 – 1980, and has interviewed nearly 200 victims of abuse throughout reservations in Washington, Idaho, Montana and South Dakota.

Men Organizing to End Domestic Violence

Wonderful news in an email I received today. A (free) men's dv program in Minnesota. The Wellstone Institute is truly doing great things.

Scholarships provided for out of town travelers for one night hotel and a gas card, please contact Lonna at Lonna@wellstone.org for more information.

United Way Greater Twin Cities

Camp Sheila Wellstone : “Taking a Stand‐ Men Organizing to End Violence Against Women”

The Sheila Wellstone Institute along with a team of men from Minnesota organizations who are working to end violence will host the first-ever Camp Sheila Wellstone for Men, an historic state-wide gathering of men who are working to end violence. This men-only conference will be held in the Twin Cities and is designed to:

· Build a stronger coalition of men who are working against violence in Minnesota

· Provide education about violence against women and effective - models of prevention

· Teach critical organizing and advocacy skills that build power and end violence against women and children

WHERE: Best Western Kelly Inn WHEN: Sept. 23rd-24th, 2010
161 St. Anthony Ave. 1:00pm —5:00pm Thursday
St. Paul, MN55103 and 8:30am—4pm Friday

Register for this FREE training, click on this link:

https://www.thedatabank.com/dpg/114/mtglistproc.asp?formid=MTGC3&caleventid=7119

For more information, please contact Lonna Hunter, Director of Sheila Wellstone Institute @ 651- 414-6034, lonna@wellstone.org or

Dave Mathews, DMathews@mndap.org.

FEATURING:

Performances from youthrive — a group of young adults who seek to inspire and engage through education, leadership, and service to integrate peacemaking into their lives. They will join us for spoken word and improv.

Keynote Speaker — Ted Bunch, Co-founder of A CALL TO MEN: The National Association of Men
and Women Committed to Ending Violence Against Women

Ted is recognized both nationally and internationally for his expertise in organizing and educating men in the effort to end violence against women. He is dedicated to strengthening community accountability to end all forms of violence against women. Ted is formerly the Senior Director and Co-creator of Safe Horizon's Domestic Violence Accountability Program which is the largest program for domestic violence offenders in America.

Trainers:

Dave Matthews, Domestic Abuse Project
Chuck Derry, Minnesota Men’s Action Network
Joe Morse, Beyond ToughGuise
Pheng Thao, Asian Women United

...and others!

Lonna Hunter, Director
Sheila Wellstone Institute
2446 University Avenue, Suite 170
St. Paul, MN 55114

651-414-6034 Direct Line
651-414-6032 FAX

lonna@wellstone.org

www.wellstone.org

Press Release from the Justice Department

Big announcement today. Here's the press release.

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT AWARDS $127 MILLION TO IMPROVE TRIBAL PUBLIC SAFETY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE

First Grants Awarded Through New Streamlined Grant Process
WASHINGTON - Hundreds of American Indian and Alaskan Native communities will receive almost $127 million to enhance law enforcement, bolster justice systems, prevent youth substance abuse, serve sexual assault and elder victims, and support other efforts to combat crime. These grants are the first under the Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS), a new effort combining 10 different Department of Justice grant programs into a single solicitation.

Associate Attorney General Tom Perrelli announced the CTAS awards today at the National Museum of the American Indian. Perrelli noted that Attorney General Holder and other Department of Justice leadership held tribal listening sessions last year. The department developed CTAS in response to views shared at these sessions, Tribal consultation events and other feedback from tribal leaders.

"Today, we take another major step toward true nation-to-nation collaboration," said Perrelli. "CTAS is not only a more streamlined grant-making process, it is part of the department's broader strategy of increased engagement with tribal communities across a broad range of areas."

CTAS includes most of the tribal programs from the department's Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) and the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). The programs were listed as 10 purpose areas. In previous years, tribes seeking funding for more than one of these purposes would need to submit multiple grant applications. With CTAS, tribes were able to submit a single application while selecting multiple purpose areas, ranging from juvenile justice to violence against women.

"This approach not only saves time and resources, but it also allows tribes and the Department to gain a better understanding of overall public safety needs," Perrelli added. "Through CTAS and other initiatives, we have sought to take action to respond to tribal leaders and help end the inexcusably high crime rates in tribal communities."

Additionally, COPS Office Director Bernard Melekian, addressed the National Native American Law Enforcement Association's 18th Annual National Training Conference today in Las Vegas. Director Melekian simultaneously announced the CTAS awards to the approximately 400 tribal law enforcement representatives in attendance.

All federally recognized tribes were eligible for CTAS. OJP, COPS, and OVW worked together in making the award decisions. Tribal leaders have been invited to a tribal consultation session on October 5, 2010 in Spokane to discuss ways to improve the Department's grant-making process in future years.

A list of the ten CTAS purpose areas is attached. The complete list of the Fiscal Year 2010 CTAS grantees is available at the Department of Justice's Tribal Justice and Safety Web site - www.tribaljusticeandsafety.gov.

# # #
10-1029

DO NOT REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE. IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, PLEASE USE THE CONTACTS IN THE MESSAGE OR CALL THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS AT 202-514-2007.

Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS) Purpose Areas

Tribal Resources Grant Program - Improve public safety and enhance community policing capacity

Indian Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention Program - Prevent and reduce alcohol and substance abuse-related crimes

Tribal Courts Assistance Program - Develop and enhance the operation of Tribal justice systems

Correctional Facilities on Tribal Lands Program - Plan, renovate or construct correctional and/or correctional alternative facilities

Tribal Sexual Assault Services Program - Provide direct intervention and related assistance to victims of sexual assault

Tribal Governments Program - Tribal Governments Program - TGP - Enhance responses to violence committed against Indian women and girls

Tribal Elder Outreach Program - Provide community outreach and victim assistance services to address elder abuse

Tribal Youth Program - Prevent and control delinquency and improve the juvenile justice system

Tribal Juvenile Accountability Discretionary Program - Enhance accountability for delinquent behavior

Tribal Youth Program - Develop new demonstration projects on violence prevention and rehabilitation

Mary Byron Project Invites Entries of Innovative Domestic Violence Programs

I received this email today:

The Mary Byron Project created the annual Celebrating Solutions Awards program to honor innovative programs that demonstrate promise in breaking the cycle of domestic violence.

MBP typically presents four awards of $10,000 each to pioneering programs that can serve as models for the nation. These are awards for accomplishments, not grants for future projects. Recipients are not required to render any further services as a condition of receiving a Celebrating Solutions Award.

To be eligible for the award, a program must address the issue of domestic violence and be part of a U.S. nonprofit with 501(c)(3) status under the Internal revenue Code or a government agency. Both the nominated program and the institution must have been operating for a minimum of three years. The program should be replicable, or, if it is national in scope, should have applications for individual communities, regardless of their size or ethnic population. Organizations operating outside the United States or a U.S. territory are not eligible.

Visit the Mary Byron Project Web site for complete program guidelines and application forms.

Tribal Law and Order Act on the Standing Rock Reservation

OK, so while it's a huge step ahead that the Tribal Law and Order Act has become law, thanks to the efforts of Senator Dorgan, there isn't a direct line between the passage of the law and increased sovereignty in law enforcement on many reservations. The Standing Rock Reservation, where the Pretty Bird Woman House shelter is located, is no exception. Many reservations will have to change their constitutions or judicial systems to accommodate the new law - and it will be all for the better.

According to an article by Jenny Michael in the Bismarck Tribune, the tribe's constitution will have to be changed:

While some tribes would have to make fundamental changes to their court structure in order to implement longer sentences — such as using law-trained attorneys and judges rather than lay people — Standing Rock already has an advanced court system similar to state district courts.

...snip....

Standing Rock public defender Jim Cerny said the possibility of three-year sentences likely would result in the U.S. attorney’s offices leaving more cases in tribal court, resulting in the tribe having more control over crime on the reservation. The sense of paternalism exhibited throughout history by the government toward tribes may be eased by the new law, Cerny speculated.

...snip...

Zuger said another provision of the law would enable federal criminal trials related to reservation crime to be held on reservations.

“Nobody wants to have to go somewhere else to have a case tried,” he said.

Tribal courts and federal courts have concurrent jurisdiction over several felonies classified in the Major Crimes Act, including murders and rapes, that occur on reservations. If federal prosecutors decline prosecution in those cases, tribal officials don’t always receive investigative information from federal agencies, making it difficult to prosecute the crimes in tribal court. The Tribal Law and Order Act requires the Department of Justice to file reports to tribal justice officials explaining why cases aren’t being prosecuted federally to coordinate the prosecution of crimes on reservations.

Cerny said most of the criminal cases from the reservation that he defends in federal court are easy cases for the U.S. attorney’s offices. If a case is questionable, they leave the cases in tribal court, he said.

The problem with that, he explained, is that the Federal Bureau of Investigation often investigates crimes that fall under the Major Crimes Act, which are serious crimes such as murder and rape. If the U.S. attorney does not bring federal charges in those cases, federal agencies don’t always share investigatory information with tribal law enforcement and courts.
Standing Rock Chief Prosecutor Grant Walker said declinations are still an “on-going process.” Sometimes, investigations into the same incident have been going on in both the tribal and federal systems without either agency realizing it, he said.

...snip...

The new law also provides resources to enhance cooperation among tribal, state and federal agencies, authorizes tribal police to make arrests for all crimes committed on reservations, provides tribal police more access to national criminal history databases, improves collection of reservation crime data, increases resources for dealing with domestic and sexual violence, increases training opportunities and seeks to increase the pools of potential Bureau of Indian Affairs law enforcement officers by upping the age limit from 35 to 46 and expediting background checks for potential peace and correctional officers.

...snip...

(go to the link above to read the entire text of the article).

“I think (the law) is going to make some improvement on our reservation,” Murphy said.

Folks, the shelter needs a new wheelchair ramp

We're going to be kicking off a fundraiser as soon as we get the estimate for the wood cost, but the shelter could use your help now.

When we were doing all those fundraisers last year there was plenty of money for a wheelchair ramp. So, the shelter contracted for one, and most of one was built.

"Most"? Yup. Most. Not only did the contractor leave it incomplete, what he did do was substandard.

Right now there is little recourse but to just build another one. There are at least 2 companies on Standing Rock that are doing shoddy work and going after them isn't always practical when you are busy running a shelter.

I don't know if you are aware of this, but Jackie Brown Otter, the shelter's founder and new director, uses a wheelchair so this is a daily issue for her.

Alternately, if anyone has appropriate wood that they would like to take over to Standing Rock, we my be able to ask someone from Sitting Bull College to build one the right way.

Either way, the shelter could use your donations now. You will see a new donations button on the right to make this easier.

Thank you.

More on the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010

Here's the White House Press Release on this new legislation, which President Obama signed into law on July 29.

The President just signed the Tribal Law and Order Act -- an important step to help the Federal Government better address the unique public safety challenges that confront tribal communities.

According to a Department of Justice report, Native American women suffer from violent crime at a rate three and a half times greater than the national average. Astoundingly, one in three Native American women will be raped in their lifetimes. At the White House Tribal Nations Conference in November 2009, President Obama stated that this shocking figure "is an assault on our national conscience that we can no longer ignore."

Last week, Congress took another important step to improve the lives of Native American women by passing the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010. The Act includes a strong emphasis on decreasing violence against women in Native communities, and is one of many steps this Administration strongly supports to address the challenges faced by Native women.

The stipulations in the Act that will benefit Native women reflect several Administration priorities. The Act will strengthen tribal law enforcement and the ability to prosecute and fight crime more effectively. The Indian Health Care Improvement Act will require that a standardized set of practices be put in place for victims of sexual assault in health facilities. Now, more women will get the care they need, both for healing and to aid in the prosecution of their perpetrators.

Victims of domestic violence and sexual assault will now more often encounter authorities who have been trained to handle such cases. The Act expands training of tribal enforcement officers on the best ways to interview victims of domestic and sexual violence and the importance of collecting evidence to improve rates of conviction. The Director of Indian Health Services will coordinate with the Department of Justice, Tribes, Tribal organizations and urban Indian organizations to develop standardized sexual assault policies and protocols.

Special Assistant US Attorneys will be deputized under the Act to prosecute reservation crimes in Federal courts, and tribes will be given greater authority to hold perpetrators accountable. These provisions help to increase communication between tribal law enforcement, Federal authorities and the court system. As numbers of convictions grow, more women may be willing to report the abuses against them so that their abusers may be prosecuted.

However, the Act focuses not only on prosecution but also on prevention. It reauthorizes and improves programs to prevent and treat alcohol and substance abuse, as well as programs that improve opportunities for at-risk Indian youth. Getting men and boys involved in stopping the violence against women and girls is an important step to ending it everywhere, giving youth a chance to change their own futures.

This Act, combined with the great work that Attorney General Eric Holder and the Department of Justice are doing to combat violence in American Indian/Alaska Native communities, is an important step towards our Administration’s priority of ending violence against women and girls, and making Native communities safer and more secure. One in three is a statistic that is intolerable, and the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010 will help to change that.

Lynn Rosenthal is the White House Advisor on Violence Against Women

Tribal Law and Order Act Passes Congress!!

This legislation, which President Obama will sign into law, will make it much easier to catch and convict the perpetrators of violence against women in Indian Country. Thank you to the bill's sponsors as well as the President.

Here is Obama's statement:

For Immediate Release July 21, 2010 Statement by the President on the Passage of the Tribal Law and Order Act
Today's passage of the Tribal Law and Order Act is an important step to help the federal government better address the unique public safety challenges that confront tribal communities. The fact is, American Indians and Alaska Natives are victimized by violent crime at far higher rates than Americans as a whole. Native communities have seen increased gang and drug activity, with some tribes experiencing violent crime rates at more than ten times the national average. And one in three Native women will be the victim of rape in her lifetime.

The federal government's relationship with tribal governments, its obligations under treaty and law, and our values as a nation require that we do more to improve public safety in tribal communities. And this Act will help us achieve that. It will strengthen the relationship between the federal government and tribal governments. It will improve our ability to work with tribal communities in the investigation and prosecution of crime, and it authorizes resources for tribes to fight crime more effectively. While many members helped pass this bill, I especially want to applaud Senators Dorgan, Barrasso and Kyl, and Representatives Herseth Sandlin, Kildee, Cole, Conyers, Scott, Rahall, Simpson and Pastor for their leadership on this issue. I look forward to signing the Act into law.

For Your Reference

The Native American Communities Justice Project is a great policy paper. Read it when you have a chance by the California Office of the Courts. It's worth a read.

UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Review

This was brought to my attention by the Indian Law Resource Center via Cavnet.

From the State Department's Website:

WELCOME to the Department of State’s website for the U.S. review of its position on the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The Administration recognizes that for many around the world, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples provides a framework for addressing indigenous issues. Tribal leaders and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have recommended that the United States reexamine its position on the Declaration. In response, the Department of State and other Federal agencies will be conducting a review of the Declaration’s provisions.

Consultations with Federally Recognized Indian Tribes and Outreach to Interested NGOs

The U.S. Government looks forward to hearing from all interested parties as it undertakes its review of the Declaration. The U.S. Department of State, together with other Federal agencies, will be holding consultations with federally recognized Indian tribes and meetings with interested nongovernmental organizations and other stakeholders on the review of the Declaration. Exact dates and locations will be announced on this website. Anyone unable to participate in these consultations or meetings in person can send comments by email to declaration@state.gov or by mail to S/SR Global Intergovernmental Affairs, U.S. Department of State, 2201 C Street NW., Suite 1317, Washington, DC 20520. Please send written comments by July 15, 2010 to ensure that they can be given due consideration in the review.

The Department of State will update this site with announcements about the review of the UN Declaration.

Rape on the Reservation - Documentary on Rosebud

Unfortunately, Current TV took this video off of their website, and as a blog I only had the link available. My apologies. I am keeping the post up here though due to the comments

There's a documentary film about the problem of rape on Indian Reservations. This one was filmed on the Rosebud Reservation. Here it is, about 44 minutes. I downloaded it from Current TV

DOJ Grant Opportunity for Tribes

In addition to the Coordinated Tribal Solicitation that is currently open, the Department of Justice recently released a Solicitation for its new Children Exposed to Violence Initiative and tribal governments are eligible to apply for this project as well. A key component of the Initiative is a demonstration project, which will be divided into planning and implementation phases. During the planning phase, the Department will fund up to eight sites to develop comprehensive, multi-disciplinary approaches to address the needs of children (ages 0 – 17 ) exposed to violence. Two of the eight sites will be awarded to tribal communities.

For the implementation phase, the Department will fund up to four sites (one of the four demonstration sites will be a tribal community) for the comprehensive delivery of services. During both phases, the sites will receive technical assistance and training. For those initial sites not selected for the implementation phase, the Department plans to make seed grants available. The solicitation for the planning sites was released on March 31, 2010.

All Tribes are encouraged to apply for this particular grant, in addition to applying for the Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation.

The application requires the Tribal applicant to collaborate with, among others, tribal nonprofit organizations or community-based organizations with a documented history of effective work concerning children or youth exposed to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, including programs that provide culturally specific services.

The deadline for the Children Exposed to Violence grant is June 1, 2010.

CONTACT INFORMATION

For technical assistance with submitting an application, contact the GMS Support Hotline at 1-888-549-9901, option 3, or via e-mail to GMSHelpDesk@ usdoj.gov.

Note: The GMS Support Hotline hours of operation are Monday-Friday, 6:00 a.m. to midnight, Eastern Time, except Federal holidays.

For assistance with any other requirement of this solicitation, call Kristen Kracke, Program Specialist, at 202-616-3649 or e-mail her at kristen.kracke@ usdoj.gov.

The solicitation may be viewed at http://ojjdp. ncjrs.gov/ funding/FundingD etail.asp? fi=179

Obama Signs the Indian Health Care Act

Good news from the Obama Administration on Indian Health Care too!

Washington -- The Indian Health Care Improvement Act, the cornerstone legal authority for the provision of health care to American Indians and Alaska Natives, was made permanent when President Obama signed the bill, as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

The authorization of appropriations for the IHCIA had expired in 2000, and while various versions of the bill were considered by Congress since then, the act now has no expiration date.

snip

The version of the IHCIA signed into law on Tuesday differs in several respects from the original version passed by Congress in 1976. It includes many major changes and improvements to facilitate the delivery of health care services, such as:

The IHS provides a comprehensive health service delivery system for approximately 1.9 million of the nation's estimated 3.3 million American Indians and Alaska Natives.

The full story is available at the Springfield News Leader

Attorney General Announces Significant Reforms to Improve Public Safety in Indian Country

Press Release from the Justice Department:

Attorney General Eric Holder today announced sweeping reforms intended to improve public safety on tribal land. The new directive is part of a larger Justice Department initiative to create better communication and coordination to fight crime and promote justice in Indian Country.

"The public safety challenges we face in Indian Country will not be solved by a single grant or a single piece of legislation," Holder said. "There is no quick fix. While today’s directive is significant progress, we need to continue our efforts with federal, state and tribal partners to identify solutions to the challenges we face, and work to implement them."

The Attorney General directed all U.S. Attorneys’ Offices with districts containing Indian Country (44 out of 93) to: meet and consult with tribes in their district annually; develop an operational plan addressing public safety in Indian Country; work closely with law enforcement to pay particular attention to violence against women in Indian Country and make these crimes a priority; and to provide summaries of their operational plans to the Office of the Deputy Attorney General and make those summaries available to the tribes in their districts .

The Attorney General also announced that the Justice Department’s FY 2010 appropriation includes an additional $6 million for Indian Country prosecution efforts. At least 35 additional Assistant U.S. Attorneys and 12 additional FBI victim specialists will be added in offices with an Indian Country caseload. These new resources will enable the Justice Department to bring the federal justice system closer to Indian Country, including through a Community Prosecution Pilot Project that the Executive Office of U.S. Attorneys is currently developing.

Today’s announcement came out of the recommendations that have been gathered by Department leadership as part of a larger department-wide initiative on public safety in tribal communities. As part of this effort, Deputy Attorney General David W. Ogden and Associate Attorney General Tom Perrelli conducted a series of meetings addressing violent crime in Indian Country. On Oct. 28-29, 2009, Attorney General Holder convened a national tribal leaders listening session in St. Paul, Minn. Also in October, the Justice Department held its annual tribal consultation on violence against women, as required by the Violence Against Women Act of 2005. The department again had the opportunity to engage with tribal leaders on public safety in tribal communities during the White House Tribal Nations Conference in November 2009. In addition to these sessions with tribal leaders, department leadership has conducted meetings with Indian Country experts on law enforcement and public safety efforts.

The districts include: District of Alaska; Southern District of Alabama; District of Arizona; Central District of California; Eastern District of California; Northern District of California; Southern District of California; District of Colorado; District of Connecticut; Southern District of Florida; District of Idaho; Northern District of Iowa; District of Kansas; Western District of Louisiana; District of Maine; District of Massachusetts; Eastern District of Michigan; Western District of Michigan; District of Minnesota; Southern District of Mississippi; District of Montana; District of Nebraska; District of Nevada; District of New Mexico; Eastern District of New York (anticipating federal recognition of the Shinnecock Nation); Northern District of New York; Western District of New York; Western District of North Carolina; District of North Dakota; Eastern District of Oklahoma; Northern District of Oklahoma; Western District of Oklahoma; District of Oregon; District of Rhode Island; District of South Carolina; District of South Dakota; Eastern District of Texas; Western District of Texas; District of Utah; Eastern District of Washington; Western District of Washington; Eastern District of Wisconsin; Western District of Wisconsin; and the District of Wyoming.

A copy of the guidelines, in a memo from Deputy Attorney General David W. Ogden to the relevant U.S. Attorneys, can be found here : http://www.justice.gov/dag/dag-memo-indian-country.html .

Thank you message from Georgia

Have been pretty busy since Christmas and sorry about not writing to you sooner. I want to Thank the Daily Kos for the gift that i received and it was here when i need it most. I forgot what it was like to live on a monthly budget of 513.00 a month. This gift card was used for food and toiletries for the home. If never occurred to me how much the kids would suffer when i resigned. I stop every morning and buy them a juice and snack for after school and put it in there back packs. That had to stop They asked and it was really hard to say i did not have the funds any more for that. I feel just bad but i know that i have spoiled the kids that way. We will have to wait till i get approved for food stamps to get the snack and send them with them from home. but that is long process so am waiting. I have one that is reading buff and she always got to order books from school she asked me this morning before leaving for school if she could order and i had to tell no. I heard from the Social Security that it could take 130 days before I find out if i qualify for disability. income taxe return will help me when I get my W2's back from Pretty Bird. I just have to hang in there a few month and i know it will be better.
Well better get off of here and start supper.
Love
Georgia Little Shield

Fundraising Update AND REQUEST FOR GEORGIA

First, I want to profusely thank the person who just donated $200 to the gift card fund.



Second, I want to explain why I took down the general donations ChipIn. With Georgia resigning, and the shelter's PayPal account attached to her email account, I thought it would be confusing for the shelter's interim director, since I haven't had a chance to talk her about issues like linking PayPal accounts and email addresses. I thought there would be difficulty acknowledging donations or figuring out where sudden money came from. So, if you want to donate to the shelter and the staff, please send a check. They will know how to account for that until I can tell the shelter about how ChipIn works.

So that's why I took down the General Fund ChipIn. This does NOT mean that there is any problem, only that I wanted to leave things a little more clear given the turnover in two major staff positions.

Also, I want to appeal to you for something.

Georgia resigned her position due to some health issues that were becoming more and more difficult for her to manage, especially with a stressful position like women's shelter director. She's now regretting resigning because with her husband being unemployed, there is now no money for Christmas presents for the children she is fostering - two grandchildren and two step nieces, all girls except for the two year old, and ranging in age from 2 to 17.

I told her I'd ask the community for help on that, and asked what kinds of things the kids like.
She sent me the following email:

Oh The 6 year old any thing tinker bell, the 9 year old any thing Hanna Montana, the 2 year old boy Cars or riding toys he has none. The 17 year old any make up such eye make up eye shadows (brown and Plum) and mascara black eye liner black. really poor on make up she is.

The Tribe where i live lost there low energy money so those of us who did get that last year will not be getting help with propane, Man if its not one thing its another. I want to just scream.

As you can see, we have a number of problems here. Georgia is facing Christmas and winter without enough money. So if we can get a little extra in there for her, I will send her a gift card with extra money in it directly to her address. If you want to donate directly to her, send me an email or leave a comment below.

This also means that if you're wanting to send some Christmas presents to needy children this year, look no further. Georgia has done a lot for the women of Standing Rock, so lets also give her foster kids a little love for all of her effort!

Feel free to leave a comment if you have a question, or will be sending them any gifts.

You can send the children's gifts to:
Georgia Little Shield P.O. Box 292 Isabel SD 57633.

(the post box number means you have to use the USPS, so I would recommend the flat rate Priority Mail boxes)

Thank you all for everything.

Tis the Season

SHELTER NEWS:

The shelter is now a stable institution on Standing Rock. Last spring, the Tribal Council awarded it a large grant to hire two more staff, create a Sexual Assault Response Team at the Tribal Administration level, and conduct educational programs! Not too shabby!

DECEMBER 8 UPDATE:

I just wanted to let everyone know that Georgia Littleshield is stepping down as director of the shelter as of December 11th for health reasons.

I'd like to take this opportunity to recognize Georgia for her contribution to the women on the Standing Rock Reservation. The fact that she never gave up when it seemed that the shelter was in imminent danger of closing, whether from vandalism and fire or for financial reasons, inspired so many people to help that we were able to raise enough money to buy a building.

So, Georgia, I want to say to you that you can be satisfied with the work you've done. You were an excellent public advocate for the shelter and its long-term existence is thanks to you.



2009 DONATIONS

I have two different ChipIn Widgets posted.

1. The first one is for the staff, which now numbers 4 (one of the shelter workers has recently resigned). If you contribute to that, it isn't tax deductible. If you choose this, when you go to the ChipIn, you will see my email address, not the shelter director's, since the money will go into my PayPal account. What I do is go to my TD bank and buy the fee-free gift cards they sell there, and then send them priority mail. The staff has been very surprised every year, and it has been touching to hear talk of tears on seeing how much each card has been for, etc. Since the shelter doesn't have Christmas bonuses in its budget, this is how we give those hard-working women some recognition!

2. I recently asked Georgia if there were any big-ticket items that they still needed (after all, they have the house, a new furnace, a fence, and bunkbeds for kids thanks to YOU!). She had a van for the shelter on her wishlist. I haven't gotten any estimates from them yet, but that's what they're wishing for. If you donate to this fund, it IS tax-deductible, and will go into the sheleter's general operating fund. If they get enough money for a van, great. If not, it will be put to good use anyway.

3. Material Donations (updated 11/13)- when I went out to the shelter last winter I was overwhelmed by the amount of clothing that had been donated, mostly by YOU folks. It was amazing. I will double check on this information, but if you are inclined to send clothes or items you have crocheted or knitted (beautiful work ladies, btw), there is an ongoing shortage of baby and young children's clothes. Blankets and throws are always needed, and the shelter will always gratefully accept adult clothes, but there are shortages of babies' and children's clothes if you are trying to prioritize your giving.

The shelter had been receiving palates of items every month from a larger organization. Unfortunately, that organization is now under new management, which is requiring them to do their paperwork all over again. With the shipments stopping, there is has been a sudden shortage of certain items, including: sheets and towels, feminine hygiene items, and shampoo. The shelter in fact is in desperate need of DIAPERS. You can have these items sent cheaply from online stores that offer free shipping (Amazon is free over $25, etc.).

Also, consider doing your on-line shopping through www.iGive.com. You can not only get a discount for yourself in many stores, but it amounts to extra donations from the shelter through the participating merchants.

If you want to send new clothes for adults, sweatsuits are ideal.

Thanks again from the bottom of my heart. I am looking forward to being moved to tears again this year by your generosity.

Here is a Thanksgiving Message from President Obama:

Tomorrow, Thanksgiving Day, Americans across the country will sit down together, count our blessings, and give thanks for our families and our loved ones.

American families reflect the diversity of this great nation. No two are exactly alike, but there is a common thread they each share.

Our families are bound together through times of joy and times of grief. They shape us, support us, instill the values that guide us as individuals, and make possible all that we achieve.

So tomorrow, I'll be giving thanks for my family -- for all the wisdom, support, and love they have brought into my life.

But tomorrow is also a day to remember those who cannot sit down to break bread with those they love.

The soldier overseas holding down a lonely post and missing his kids. The sailor who left her home to serve a higher calling. The folks who must spend tomorrow apart from their families to work a second job, so they can keep food on the table or send a child to school.

We are grateful beyond words for the service and hard work of so many Americans who make our country great through their sacrifice. And this year, we know that far too many face a daily struggle that puts the comfort and security we all deserve painfully out of reach.

So when we gather tomorrow, let us also use the occasion to renew our commitment to building a more peaceful and prosperous future that every American family can enjoy.

It seems like a lifetime ago that a crowd met on a frigid February morning in Springfield, Illinois to set out on an improbable course to change our nation.

In the years since, Michelle and I have been blessed with the support and friendship of the millions of Americans who have come together to form this ongoing movement for change.

You have been there through victories and setbacks. You have given of yourselves beyond measure. You have enabled all that we have accomplished -- and you have had the courage to dream yet bigger dreams for what we can still achieve.

So in this season of thanks giving, I want to take a moment to express my gratitude to you, and my anticipation of the brighter future we are creating together.

With warmest wishes for a happy holiday season from my family to yours,

President Barack Obama