Today is the last day to donate for the 2008 tax year

If you want to donate and still get a tax deduction for 2008, you have until midnight.

We are of course very thankful for any donation whenever it comes, but for tax purposes think "do it NOW"!

If you're wondering what happened to the old ChipIn, see the right side of the page. For some reason, ChipIn terminated itself this morning instead of midnight. So I just put up another one, no problem!

14 Claim Abuse by Priests in Marty Boarding School

Here we get at the root of why there is so much domestic violence in Indian Country: generations of children were severely abused in Indian boarding schools just like this one. Here are some excerpts from an article in the Argus Leader.

Fourteen former students of what is now the Marty Indian School have accused Catholic priests, monks, nuns and others of repeated sexual abuse.

Their lawsuits filed Thursday in Minnehaha County Circuit Court are in addition to a 2003 lawsuit involving eight other ex-students, which still is pending.
...snip...

According to the complaints, nuns routinely beat female students and forced them to beat the younger girls, forced them to strip naked and fondled them under the auspices of reprimand or concern for their health.

Priests, especially one called Father Francis, are alleged to have fondled and/or engaged in oral sex with boys and girls alike, and a monk allegedly beat a boy while he was naked.

The abuse is alleged to have taken place between 20 and 50 years ago. For most, if not all, of the 14 accusers filing Thursday, the statute of limitations has expired for prosecution.

But their lawyers say the civil actions should proceed because the plaintiffs realized only in the past three years that their symptoms are related to clergy abuse.
...snip...

At a news conference in front of St. Joseph Cathedral, John Manly, a California lawyer for the plaintiffs, said he wants Bishop Paul Swain to name all alleged perpetrators in the diocese and stop what he says is a common practice of settling victims' complaints in secrecy. Victims must be allowed to go public with their stories, get help and seek prosecution of their abusers where possible, he said.

"You don't tell victims to shut up," Manly said.

The same lawyers who filed these suits also filed them against the St. Francis Indian School.

So, if you hadn't been aware of this issue, this article should alert you to to why there are generations upon generations of adults in Indian Country who have grown up not only with no example of how to treat their own children, and not only within an education system whose stated goal was to "kill the Indian, save the man," (i.e. viciously destroy a culture), but with a seething, yet unacknowledged, internal anger from being abused as a child. Often, that anger has no healthy outlet.

I truly hope that additional victims of these particular schools step forward and tell their stories. It would be a painful, but very productive step onto a healing path, which in many cases also includes dealing with the impacts of post traumatic stress disorder.

Five days left for those tax deductions!

Hi everyone,

Just thought I'd remind you that there are five days left for you to donate and get a tax deduction for 2008.

Everyone is so thankful for your continuing support. More news to follow after everyone is done with their Christmas break.

Betsy

Please Fav this YouTube Video

A great supporter has kindly created this YouTube video for us for fundraising and education purposes. Thank you SO much mansonrepublica!

Here it is:



I am SO impressed. And I don't think it's an accident that the ChipIn jumped up today.

Also check out her Project for Awesome.

You never know what kind of wonderful people are lurking around the in the Netroots!

Call for Toiletries

Hi everybody. I got a call from Georgia. Many people are now generously sending the towels they requested, so what they're asking for now are women's hygiene items, as well as shampoo, conditioner and soap. So if you're trying to decide what to buy, send those things rather than towels. They actually need both, but the other items are now a little more urgently needed.

PILAMAYA
(thank you)

Obama's Transition Team has 6 Native Americans

Even though this is tangential to the shelter, I think it's important for people to know that there 6 Native Americans on Obama's transition team.

Here's part of a story from Indian Country Today.

The majority of the group is working on Interior Department-related matters, with three current and former lawyers with the Native American Rights Fund, including John Echohawk, Keith Harper and Robert Anderson, advising the former senator from Illinois on proposed changes within the department that encompasses the BIA.

...

In addition to the Interior transition developments, Mary Smith, Mary McNeil and Yvette Robideaux – all American Indians – have been assigned to work on justice, agriculture and health issues.

Members of Obama’s transition team have been instructed not to talk about their specific contributions, but Amy Brundage, a spokeswoman for the transition team said their appointments are consistent with Obama’s campaign pledges to Indian country.>

Three men and three women. Way to go!

'Tis the Season

A few people have been wondering what they can do for the shelter around the holidays.



Here are a few ideas.
1. Contribute to the general fund (ChipIn at right). The shelter always needs money for expenses that aren't covered by grants (everything is tax deductible). If you have to get a gift for someone who already has everything, consider donating in that person's name. That kind of gift is truly meaningful.

2. Contribute to the gift card fund for the shelter staff. Women's shelters are always underfunded and the staff underpaid. There is no money for bonuses ever, so if you'd like to see the staff get a few extra prezzies this year, contribute here. I will go buy Visa gift cards from the local bank, so they can use them anywhere they please.

3. Buy some towels. Right now the shelter is having a towel and wash cloth shortage because it lets women coming and going take their towels with them. Anna's Linens online seems to have really good prices.

Other general items that are always needed are:

Twin and queen size sheets and blankets, toothbrushes and toothpaste, shampoo and conditioner, women's hygiene items, diapers of all sizes, baby wipes, first aid kit items, and analgesics such as ibuprofen and aspirin.

Address:
Pretty Bird Woman House
211 First Ave W.
McLaughlin, SD 57642



4. FREE things you can do. The economy sucks, I know, and I for one am one of the people out of work (don't feel sorry for me, I just handed in a dissertation, so I'm hopeful for the future). There are 2 things you can do that I would call passive giving.

* Sign up foriGive. If you do this, whenever you shop at what seems to now be most online stores, the store will donate a percentage of your purchase to the shelter. Everybody has to shop for the holidays, so if you shop online, this is the way to go. Since last year we've raised over $300 in this kind of passive giving, just with 60 people on the list. Imagine of we had 300 people on it?

* If you download this GoodSearch bar and use it when you do a search, they will donate 2 cents for each search. That adds up, especially if there are a lot of people doing the searches. Since last year, we've raised $118 onGoodSearch.



Passive giving, I like it!

5. Buy Christmas presents for women and children who will be at the shelter. I've been talking to the shelter director about this, but one of the staff just quit so right now she's having a hard time keeping her head above water.

It's likely that the women and children who are occupying the house right now won't be there at Christmas, so we can't tell exactly who will be there, but here are some good ideas from another shelter director.

Don't forget socks, underwear and sweats!

As a shelter director, I can tell you this - the women & kids who are there right now, will probably not be there by Christmas

I always tell generous donors to send gifts that you and your family members would like to receive for a Christmas present.

So, if you are an adult woman, you might want a nice robe or pajamas, slippers or perfume or a long distance calling card or a beautiful warm neck scarf with matching hat & gloves for the winter, a watch, or a clock radio or a nice new hair dryer or straightener or culring iron, diaries, journals, wallets, backpacks, picture frames, photo albums.

The majority of children in shelter are between the ages of 2 and 12 with all ages sprinkled in, so legos and action figures are good for boys, coloring books, word puzzles books, games, decks of cards, dolls/barbies of all cultures, leapster learning toys, anything Disney, Bratz, Dora & Diego, SpongeBob.

Don't forget about the batteries if you purchase a gift that requires batteries, please send them with the gift!

For the tweens & teens, hand held games, travel games, music by Jonas Brothers, Hannah Montana, Cheetah Girls, sleeping bags, blankets, backpacks, belts, hand bags, cosmetics, hair accessories, small suitcases on wheels, disposable cameras are so cheap these days!

Gift cards are always great for all - food, clothing, gas cards, phone cards, shoes.

Keep the candles for yourself - it is not usually safe to burn candles in a shelter home but the temptation is so great if you have one!

When thinking shelter, remember storage is at a premium so think smaller, more portable gifts.

The Pretty Bird Woman House operates at capacity nearly all the time. One of their staff just quit (too much stress), and they are quite over their heads right now with the work load. Thanks to YOU this shelter exists. Without you, the women on the Standing Rock Reservation wouldn't have any place to go if they are victims of domestic violence. You are amazing.

Article on Daschle Appointment from Medical News Today

Goevernment health care for Native Americans has been terrible, at best. I've heard stories about the poor care that make my blood boil. But things may be looking up under an Obama Administration, with Tom Daschle as head of HHS.

American Indian tribal leaders are anticipating that former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) could make significant improvements to Indian Health Services to address funding shortages, health disparities and access to care if he is confirmed as HHS secretary, the Sioux Falls Argus Leader reports (Bremner, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 11/21). Daschle has reportedly accepted an offer from President-elect Barack Obama to become the new HHS secretary, according to Democratic officials.(Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 11/20).

...snip...

In the last fiscal year, IHS received $4.3 billion in funding, which tribal leaders say was less than half of what the agency needed to fully fund its health programs. Leaders said that funding for specialty health care services, such as cancer treatment and hospital care, is usually depleted three months before the end of the budget year. James Melbourne, director of the Fort Peck Tribal Health Department in Montana, said, "When the money runs out, you ration health care, people die" (Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 11/21).
© 2008 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

People die? Why aren't we up in arms about this national disgrace? And don't think that rape kits aren't included in this rationing - not all IHS facilities even have them, or the staff trained to do them.

See the full Medical News article here

The article from the Sioux Falls Argus Leader is here.

Conference Announcement

Battered Women, Abused Children, and Child Custody, A National Crisis VI: SOLUTIONS

The Sixth Annual Battered Mothers Custody Conference
January 9th, 10th, & 11th, 2009
(Friday evening, 6 p.m. - Sunday afternoon)
Albany, New York

Co-Sponsored by
National Family Court Watch Project
Coalition for Family Justice
NOW NYS
LoveFraud.Com
~Presenters~
ACTRESS and AUTHOR ANGELA SHELTON
Reclaiming the Sword ~ Transitioning from Pain and Suffering into Joy and Happiness

WENDY MURPHY, Esq. "And Justice for Some"

LUNDY BANCROFT On Organizing and Activism

JENNIFER COLLINS
An American Family Goes Underground in the Netherlands ~ and Returns to Tell Their Story

TOBY KLEINMAN, Esq.
So you believe your child may be abused. . .What do you do now

BARRY GOLDSTEIN, Esq.
Panel on the upcoming book, "Domestic Violence, Child Custody, and Abuse:
Legal and Policy Issues"

GARLAND WALLER, Producer
Why the Mainstream Media Have Failed to Cover a National Scandal

BEN ATHERTON-ZEMAN, Actor and Activist Performing "Voices of Men"
\
THE COURAGEOUS KIDS SPEAK OUT

Workshops on SOLUTIONS by
Liane J. Leedom, M.D., Author
Renee Beeker & Paul Holdorf, Esq., Nat'l Family Court Watch Project
Ursula Williams, Turning Point DV Services
Tovah Kasdin, Esq., Jewish Women International
Karen Anderson, California Protective Parents Association
Barry Goldstein, Esq. & Ben Atherton-Zeman
Irene Weiser, Stop Family Violence
Anne Grant, Journalist
Massachusetts Mothers for Justice
Donna Anderson ~ Lovefraud.com
Dara Carlin, M.A.
Marcia Pappas, President, NOW NYS
Christina Dalpiaz, Author
Joan Peterson, BSW, MPA
Karen Henninger

CONFERENCE HOTEL
Holiday Inn Turf
205 Wolf Road, Albany, NY
(five minutes away from Albany International Airport- free shuttle provided)
Call: 1-800-HOLIDAY or 518-458-7250
Special rate of $99/night
Ask for Battered Mothers Custody Conference block
Reserve early!

E-mail mhannah413@aol. com ; 518-210-2487

For additional details and to register online, go to
www.batteredmotherscustodyconference.org

Don't Miss This

Bill Moyer's Journal, which runs on PBS, had a great report on Broken Justice in Indian Country this weekend. It was based on a great series in the Denver Post (which you can find in the links on the right side of this page).

Here's the link to the show. You can watch the video or download the podcast.

Watch and Listen to Bill Moyers Journal Here.

NEEDED: TOWELS

Hi everyone,

If you're coming here looking for things to donate around the holidays, check out the right side of this blog for a complete list of ongoing donation needs for the shelter.

HOWEVER, since women are constantly coming and going, right now there is an urgent need for towels. So if you're cleaning out your linen closet, or looking for something to buy, think TOWELS.

Word has it that Linens 'N Things is going out of business and has cheap towels now.....We've also had a Yahoo Groups member order them from Annas Linens.

Once again, thank you for all your support. This means the world to the women on the Standing Rock Reservation.

P.S. Thank you to the owner of Poor Impulse Control blog for posting this request.

The New Furnace Has Been Installed!

Good news, everyone. The new furnace that YOU bought for Pretty Bird Woman House was installed today.

The women will now be assured of being WARM this winter.

On behalf on the shelter staff and the women on the reservation, THANK YOU!! It's already cold and snowy in South Dakota, so this comes just in time.


(not the actual furnace)

Free Teleconference TODAY

Another great email:

The Victim Rights Law Center and Southwest Center for Law and Policy are hosting a free teleconference on Civil Legal Remedies For Native Sexual Assault Survivors.

This toll-free teleconference will be held 3:00 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday November 12, 2008.

Tribal courts can utilize creative civil remedies against both Indian
and non-Indian perpetators of sexual assault. This teleconference will
also discuss the wide array of civil legal needs faced by Native sexual
survivors.

To register for this free teleconference, please visit www.swclap.org

Getting Back to the Issues at Hand.....

I received this notice in my email today. It looks like a good opportunity:

Partners for Women’s Equality (PWE) is an international, nonprofit organization that works to empower women and improve grassroots organizations that work to improve conditions for women in their community.

MAKE 2009 THE YEAR OF YOUR SELF-DEVELOPMENT!

PWE’s new program, Bridge to Change for Indigenous Women, is designed to develop and/or enhance the skills of Indigenous women throughout the world, particularly those women working on the issue of violence against women and children in their communities. See www.partnersforwome nsequality. org for full information on the program

APPLY NOW. If you are a Native woman, an Aboriginal woman, a First Nation woman, or a member/descendent of an Indigenous tribe, you may be eligible for this FREE, unique, international skill development program. You need to have worked to reduce violence in your community for the past three years and commit to continue to do so for the next three years. You must be fluent in English and at least 21 years old.

See www.partnersforwome nsequality. org for complete requirements.

Application is attached. Apply no later than December 20, 2008.


ABOUT BRIDGE TO CHANGE: Once selected, participants from around the world will attend a week long retreat (skill development training) in March of 2009 in Minnesota USA . Each participant will be assigned a trained personal mentor/coach who will work with them after they return to their community, throughout 2009, one or two additional gatherings will occur during 2009 for the participants. Travel stipends are available.


The application, program requirements and description are available on www.partnersforwomensequality. org.


Maureen White Eagle
Executive Director
Partners for Women’s Equality
maureen@partnersforwomensequality.org
www.partnersforwomensequality.org
651-686-5492

Letter Sent to Biden Family on November 3

I promised everyone who donated to the furnace fund that I would send a package to the Biden family with a letter about the furnace fund and your condolence wishes before the Presidential campaign was over.

As you know, that was delayed because my own mother died of cancer just as the fundraiser was ending.

But I kept my promise. On November 3 I faxed the following letter along with your condolence messages to the Senator's three offices.

Senator Joseph Biden
201 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington D.C. 20510

Dear Senator Biden,

I am writing to you on behalf of the members of the Daily Kos community who wanted to express their condolences for the recent death of your mother-in-law, Bonny Jacobs.

We were looking for a way to pay tribute to her, and decided that since you are the author of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) it would be fitting to support a women’s shelter in her memory.

Last year, members of the netroots got together to buy a new home for the Pretty Bird Woman House, a women’s shelter on the South Dakota side of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. Thanks to VAWA funds, it is now fully functioning.

During the course of this year, it became apparent that the house was in desperate need of a new furnace. Because so many members of our community were anxious to commemorate Mrs. Jacobs, we were quickly able to raise enough money for one. Because of their respect for your family, this winter battered women on the reservation will have a warm place to stay.

Attached is a list of all of the donors to the furnace project and their email addresses, along with messages of condolence to your family.

We would also like to extend our best wishes for your future White House occupancy, which we know would make Mrs. Jacobs very proud.

(I knew Obama would win when I wrote the letter)

Now, in hindsight I know that his offices were probably deluged with campaign-related faxes, but all three offices (D.C. and two district) got the package, so we'll wait for a response, which I'll post here. In any case, I kept my promise to you all.

YES.WE.DID

...Elect the first African American President.

...Get our country back.

...Vote for better policies.

...Restore our standing in the world.

...Get a cabinet-level representative of Native American interests.

CONGRATULATIONS TO US!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

See What I Mean?

The other day I posted a Get Out and Vote entry, warning that there is a history of Native American votes being suppressed.

Right now a diarist on the Daily Kos is reporting that Apache votes are being suppressed by Republicans in Arizona because their driver's licenses have PO Box numbers. Classic.

Here is the text of the article. DON'T SIT DOWN AND TAKE THIS NONSENSE!!

Native Americans in Whiteriver, Arizona, are being denied the right to vote because their drivers licenses have post office boxes.

Republican challengers are forcing the Apaches to accept provisional ballots because they say they need a physical address on their IDs.

They are also turning these voters away, not telling them how to do the verification to make their provisional ballot good.

Update: Getting more information form the scene: Problem apparently limited to people who have moved recently.

EricAZ's diary :: ::
We are working with the Navajo County officials in Holbrook and state Democratic lawyers in Phoenix, but could use help and advice.

Thanks.

Sorry for the short diary. Will update with more information.

Here is the text of one of the comments from that diary. It's not from an American Indian but you'll see how stubborn you need to be to vote in some places in Arizona today.

PHX:
I got a hassled because My two forms of id,
(drivers and fingerprint clearance card) did not match my current address, even though i handed the poll worker my sample ballot with my address clearly on it. I also was on the roll, and it seemed she didn't see my name until I pointed it out. She said i couldn't vote because i didn't have any matching address on an iD and said, "sorry" as she pointed to the listed rules. I said it not been a problem at my previous PHX address and that I wasn't going anywhere. I pulled a piece of mail out from my bank with the current address also on it as I became visibly angry, and started to dig my heels in , saying it wasn't going down like this.
She relented when I pulled out my cell phone, checking me off.
It was clear I was legit, I was on the roll right in front of my eyes, and I had Az. drivers license and a fingerprint clearance card and my sample ballot with my current address and name perfectly matching the voter roll. Only when I started to raise a stink did she relent.
How many others don't fight for their right and meekly walk away.
Cnn voter lines are dead ending and my local election board lines diconnected me. I shit you not.'
This is creepy.
I still fucking voted for Obama today.

Don't forget folks. Native Vote was organized to protect your rights. Use their resources. If you feel you are being prevented from voting or that a voting machine is switching a vote to the Republican candidate (I say this because oddly enough it never seems to get switched to the Democratic candidate)CALL 1-866-OUR-VOTE.

FYI - Very few people from Arizona read this blog, but if you're from AZ and having a problem HERE is the link to the Arizona Secretary of State's Office, which gives other forms of ID you can show too. Just insist.

If you're from the Dakotas, go a few posts down to see links to those SOS offices and the voting requirements.

This election will make history.

INSIST THAT YOUR VOTE BE COUNTED!!!

1-866-OUR-VOTE!!!!

This could be the most important election in American history. Make sure you vote, and if somebody gives you a hard time about voting, make sure your report it by calling 1-866-OUR-VOTE.

The National Congress of American Indians has been leading an election protection effort to make sure every vote cast by a Native American counts.

Here are some excerpts from an article in the Missoulian on those efforts:

The National Congress of American Indians is leading a national “election protection” measure to ensure every Native vote counts next Tuesday, with efforts ranging from phone-a-lawyer initiatives to polling place translators.

“We've joined forces with a larger coalition, like the ACLU, the NAACP and other minority groups, Latinos, Hispanics and Asians,” said Jacqueline Johnson, NCAI executive director, on Thursday. “We've been able to put together a 1-866-OUR-VOTE hotline for anybody in the country to be able to call.

“What we've been able to do with NCAI is make sure - that at the end of the line for people who are calling from Indian Country - is that they actually be able to talk with somebody who has knowledge about Indian Country issues. It will be a Native attorney or someone who works for a tribe.”

Organizers with the NCAI Native Vote Initiative have been working with tribes in 20 states to ensure Native voters aren't intimidated, a problem in previous elections.
...snip...
As a voting bloc, Natives tend to vote for Democratic candidates. Efforts to register and protect Native voters have intensified in recent days, especially since recent polls suggest some states that traditionally vote Republican could be tipped in favor of Democrats. Those states include Montana, North Dakota, Colorado and Nevada.

According to the article, lawsuits over voter suppression were filed in Alaska, Montana, and Arizona, and the organization is actively monitoring elections in New Mexico, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan.

Again, if you have difficulty getting access to the polls, or with electronic voting machines you can call, 1-866-OUR-VOTE, to report problems. If you go to the Election Protection website you can get information on how to report problems via your cell phone by using Twitter.

Here is more information on voting in the Dakotas from Native Vote

NORTH DAKOTA

North Dakota does not have voter registration requirements.
Registration Deadline:
Poll Judge: Please contact your Secretary of State office
Poll Watch: Please contact your Secretary of State office

SOUTH DAKOTA

You must:
Be a citizen of the United States
Reside in South Dakota
Be 18 years old by the next election
Not be under a sentence of imprisonment for a felony conviction
Not have been adjudged mentally incompetent by a court
Registration Deadline: Received 15 days before the election
Date of Primary for General Election: Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Primary Registration Deadline: Monday May 19, 2008 (15 days prior)
Registration Deadline:
Poll Judge: Please contact your Secretary of State office
Poll Watch: Please contact your Secretary of State office
State election Website
Secretary of State: Chris Nelson
SOS Website

Native Vote has information on voting in all 50 states.

There is a history of suppression of Native American votes in this country. Stand up and insist that your vote be counted!

South Dakota Measure 11

I received this in my email today and thought I'd share it with you.

WOMEN ARE SACRED
Vote "NO" on Initiated Measure 11
Protect Your Rights!
Keep abortion safe and legal!

"Women are sacred" is a sacred traditional teaching for the Dakota/Nakota/ Lakota Nations. Traditionally, decision-making regarding childbearing was the business of women. Those decisions were based on the health of the women and the good of all the Oyate. Those decisions were respected.

As women, our decision-making abilities have been taken from us in many ways. Our voices have been diminished throughout the centuries… until now. Those who do not understand our traditions will not silence us.

Our voices and decisions do not belong to a religion or a government legislature – you may not legislate our minds or our bodies. It is our inherent right as sovereign Dakota/Nakota/ Lakota women to make our own decisions.

Key issues to consider before you vote:

This measure will make it even harder for women to get an abortion. There would be only three exceptions that would grant an abortion option:

Risk of death to the pregnant woman or serious and irreversible injury to a major bodily organ or system.
Pregnancy as a result of a rape.
Pregnancy as a result of incest.

In all three of these "exceptions" the woman is forced to report her story and be judged by someone other than herself as to what is best for her health and life. These laws not only take away a woman's right to choose, but they also force her to report something that she may not want to, thus furthering her suffering and potentially challenging her safety and security.

Though there is nothing in this measure that prohibits the sale or prescribing of contraceptives, limiting access to legal abortions in this state is even more harmful because Emergency Contraception (EC) is hard to obtain. Not all hospitals provide a victim of rape with EC, such as Catholic Hospitals. Also, South Dakota has a refusal clause that allows pharmacists to refuse to fill a prescription for Emergency Contraception because of their religious or moral beliefs. This restriction further limits your ability to choose important aspects about your own health.

Press Release to be Delayed

I wanted to write and apologize to all donors for not getting the memorial package with the fundraiser information out to Senator Biden in a timely manner. My own mother took a turn for the worse in her battle with pancreatic cancer right at the end of the drive, and she died yesterday morning.

I won't be in the frame of mind to get everything together for a few more days, but I will definitely do it toward the end of next week.

Thanks for your understanding,
Betsy

A Press Release Will Be Forthcoming

Folks, on Sunday night, the Daily Kos community came together and ended the fundraiser.

You all are amazingly generous and compassionate people, and my hat goes off to each and every one of you.

We will now be working on a press release, and sending a package to Senator Biden's office that will include a letter explaining the history of the shelter and the Netroots' support for it, an official acknowledgment from the shelter, and your messages to Senator Biden's family and the Pretty Bird Woman House staff.

Thank you all so much for supporting this shelter. You are making a big difference in the lives of the women on the Standing Rock Reservation, who will now have a WARM shelter to escape to if they become victims of domestic violence.

Lets Honor the Biden Family's Loss with a Furnace In Bonny Jean Jacobs' Name

Many of you may know that Senator Joe Biden's mother-in-law died over the weekend.

One of Senator Biden's accomplishments in the Senate was the authorship of the Violence Against Women Act, which, among other things, provides funding for shelters like Pretty Bird Woman House.

I would like to propose that we honor the Biden family by buying a furnace for the shelter in his mother-in-law's name (Bonny Jean Jacobs).

What do you say? $5 or $10 from a couple of hundred people will do it. We can send an official card to the Biden family saying that the Netroots has done this in their name...

Are you in?

By the way October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, which makes this tribute especially appropriate.



And, as usual:

Native American Women Face Poor IHS Care, Especially after Being Raped

Good article from the Redwood City Daily News.

Here are a few excerpts from an interview with Charon Asetoyer, who is from the Yankton Nakota Reservation in South Dakota, and is the founder of the Native American Women's Health Education Resource Center (link on right at Native Shop).

First, we see that other Federal agencies are aware of the problems with poor care through the Indian Health Service (IHS).

Not that you need to be reminded, but here are some statistics that give us an idea of the scope of the problem, again from the article:

Bernadine Healy, MD, former director of the National Institutes of Health, described the Indian Health Service (IHS) in 2004 as "everyone's worst nightmare of what government healthcare would look like. The system is riddled with crumbling facilities, mindless regulations, ancient equipment, and far too few nurses, doctors, pharmacists, and dentists." When it comes to the care of Indian women who have suffered sexual assault, the current IHS is all that and more.

One in three American Indian women (34.1 percent) experience rape in their lifetimes as compared with 18 percent of white women and 19 percent of African American women, according to a Department of Justice study. Despite this high rate, there are few nurses trained within the IHS as sexual assault nurse examiners (SANEs), training which includes use of a police rape kit to gather forensic evidence and instruction on how to care for a rape victim in a respectful and medically appropriate manner. One report found that 44 percent of IHS facilities had no SANE-trained staff available. Other necessary care such as STD screening is also not being done.

The journalist posed the following questions to Ms. Asetoyer:

Q: What challenges face reservation-based Indian women who seek post-rape care?

A: At the local level, there are no standardized sexual assault policies and protocols within Indian Health Service emergency rooms. In some service units, there are protocols and procedures, but this is a federal agency that needs to be standardized - especially for Native American and Alaska Native women.

We also have a situation in which 44 percent do not even have [forensically] trained staff. If you don't have a rape kit done on a woman who has been raped, you don't have any forensic evidence. There needs to be trained SANE nurses able to do rape kits in every single reservation and Alaskan native village. You've got villages in Alaska where the plane only comes in on Wednesday. If you were raped on Thursday, Friday or Saturday, you have to wait that long - and they expect you not to bathe and wash away the evidence. That is totally unrealistic.

Q: Why do American Indian women receive less comparable care than women outside of the reservation?
A: Tribal leadership has their plate full just trying to keep our IHS facilities open - even though the incidence of sexual assault and rape is so high within the Indian community. But it is a top priority for victims and women. Even though health care is a right guaranteed to us through treaty, the IHS still has to work on financial authorization from Congress. We receive less than half of what every other American is afforded for health care, and this has allowed the IHS to deteriorate to the level that it is now. The doctors do an incredible job with the resources that they have, but they don't have resources necessary to improve the health status for us.

Ms. Asetoyer went on to describe how non-Native men know they can go into an area and rape the women with impunity, partly because of jurisdictional problems and partly because the IHS lacks enough personnel to administer rape kits and collect the forensic evidence necessary to prosecute them.

IHS does not have the staff or funding to set up women's shelters to help battered and sexually assaulted women, so it has been up to local community groups like Pretty Bird Women House to set up shelters. Currently, many reservations who lacked shelters are in the process of setting them up and hiring court advocates.

I've covered the jurisdictional problems that Amnesty International highlighted in their report last year, but this article highlights how the underfunded and understaffed Indian Health Service also contributes to the problem.

The article also serves as a reminder of what a big impact your help has had on the Standing Rock Reservation. The women face so many challenges to their health and well being, and the fact that there is now a functioning shelter located in a safe building (that YOU bought!!) is a huge help to them. The only reason it exists right now (aside from the incredible dedication of its director, Georgia Little Shield), is because of the generosity of the Netroots. I will always be in awe of that.

One more thing, I'm going to be continually reminding people that Pretty Bird Woman House will need a new furnace this winter. This is the last big ticket item that they need help with, since the federal grants that they've procured don't cover this expense.

On that note, see the post below.

Reminder: We Really Need a New Furnace

Hi everyone,

With the Netroots all consumed with the Presidential campaign, I wanted to delay pressing for funds for a new furnace until more people could focus on it. However, it's now getting colder, and the poor condition of the furnace will become more and more apparent as we get further into the fall.

So, can we re-kick off this fundraiser? If you're coming here for the first time, or, if you're a past contributor and are checking for news on the shelter, could you click on the ChipIn and give just $5 or $10? These small contributions from the many, many people who read this blog will quickly add up to a warm winter for battered women on the Standing Rock Reservation. Of course, we'd welcome large donations as well :)

Do you have your own Blogspot, LiveJournal, or Wordpress blog? If so, we'd be so grateful if you would either copy the ChipIn widget or link to the fundraiser.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Happy Anniversary SDCADVSA!!!

On Tuesday, the South Dakota Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault celebrated its 30th Anniversary with ceremonies at Steamboat Park in Pierre from 12:30 to 5:00 pm.

For more information, see this article in the Argus Leader.

Congratulations!

If DOJ's Stonewalling on Stats on Refusals to Prosecute Crime in Indian Country Burns You UpToo....

OK folks, it's campaign season, and I was for the most part going to keep this blog out of that, but after the performance of Bush's DOJ appointees at Senator Dorgan's hearing yesterday (see the post below), I am steaming.

We cannot afford NOT to elect Barack Obama this year. John McCain has come out with statements way too close to current Bush policy for me to think it will be anything but continuing malign neglect of issues important to First Americans if he is elected.

Check out this video, and you'll see why Obama is the man for Indian Country. Part of it features a man from the Standing Rock Reservation:



We cannot continue to put up with political appointees who have nothing but contempt for Congress - we need change and we need it NOW.

Senators Grill DOJ Officials, Who Won't Provide Stats on Refusal to Prosecute Crime in Indian Country

Oh, is this typical of the Bush DOJ or what? Yesterday, in the hearing I announced in the post below, Senator Dorgan pointed out to DOJ officials that they routinely fail to go after 60% of cases in Indian Country. You would think DOJ would want to defend itself by providing statistics, but no...

(This is from an Indianz.com story)

Drew Wrigley, the U.S. Attorney for North Dakota, disputed suggestions that Indian crime is a low priority for the administration. He said "zero" percent of Indian cases are declined due to lack of resources.

...snip....

But Wrigley, who was nominated by President Bush, defended the department's decision to withhold data that would explain why cases are declined. He said providing the information would mislead the public and jeopardize criminal investigations.

Other committee members weren't convinced. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), the vice chair, said the data will help improve law enforcement in Indian Country because it can shed light on areas of the system that need to be fixed.

...snip...

But Wrigley refused to agree there is a "problem" with the criminal justice system on reservations. "We don't know how to help you," said Tester of the refusal to provide information about declinations.

The Tribal Law and Order Act (S.3220) has a provision that would require the Justice Department to track all the cases it refuses to prosecute (declination rate).

Also, Syracuse University has a Transitional Records Access Clearinghouse on cases the DOJ declines to prosecute, if you want to do some detective work on your own.

From the Argus Leader:

According to a database maintained by Syracuse University and cited by committee chairman Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., U.S. attorneys failed to prosecute 50 percent of murder and manslaughter cases committed on Indian reservations from 2004 to 2007, 58 percent of serious assaults, 72 percent of child sex crimes and 76 percent of sex crimes involving adults.
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"Is there any wonder that many Native Americans have lost faith in the criminal justice system?" asked Dorgan, who threatened to subpoena the Justice Department to get the information. "This is a national disgrace, and it has to be dealt with."

..snip..

Overall, the violent crime rate on reservations is twice the national average, and methamphetamine addiction rates are three times higher, according to the committee. Meanwhile, fewer than 3,000 tribal and federal law enforcement officials patrol more than 56 million acres, less than half of the police presence in comparable non-Indian communities nationwide.

"(Violent crime) is one of the reasons we don't have economic development on reservations like we should have," said Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., a committee member.

A national disgrace indeed. When I see how DOJ treats crime on Indian reservations I am often incredulous that we can tolerate this in the 21st Century. It is testimony to how invisible the Native American population has been to the rest of this country. THAT is the biggest disgrace of them all.

THURSDAY: Sen. Dorgan Holding Hearing on Failure to Prosecute Crimes Against Native Women

I received this notice from Amnesty International today:

Tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. the Senate Subcommittee on Indian Affairs will hold an oversight hearing looking at the Federal government's failure to prosecute crimes in Indian Country. Amnesty International, which last year issued the report Maze of Injustice: the failure to protect Indigenous Women from Sexual Violence in the USA [see link on right side of this page], is submitting written testimony about the issue(attached). Renata Rendon, Americas Advocacy Director for Amnesty International USA, will attend the hearing and can be reached for interviews or more information at 202/544-0200 or 646/269-1152.

This is good news!! Perhaps now women in Indian Country will start to have the same protection under the law as the rest of the women in this country.
Here is the Amnesty testimony:

Declining to Prosecute: The Failure to Protect Native Women from Sexual Violence in the United States

“To a sexual predator, the failure to prosecute sex crimes against American Indian women is an invitation to prey with impunity.” - Dr. David Lisak, Associate Professor of Psychology, University of Massachusetts

In April 2007 Amnesty International released a report entitled “Maze of Injustice: The failure to protect Indigenous women from sexual violence in the USA”. Research on the sexual assault and rape of Native American women was initiated upon learning of U.S. Department of Justice statistics indicating that Native American and Alaska Native women are more than 2.5 times more likely than other women in the United States to be raped. According to these statistics, more than 1 in 3 Native American and Alaska Native women will be raped in their lifetimes, and 86 percent of the perpetrators of these crimes are non-Native men.

In order to achieve justice, Native American survivors of sexual violence frequently have to navigate a maze of tribal, state and federal law. Currently, tribal courts do not have authority to prosecute non-Native perpetrators meaning that only federal prosecutors can pursue such cases. Amnesty International’s research suggests that prosecutions for crimes of sexual violence against Native American women are rare in federal courts.

The lack of comprehensive and centralized data collection by federal agencies renders it impossible to obtain accurate statistics about prosecution rates for crimes of sexual violence against Native women. Amnesty International sent questionnaires to the 93 individual US Attorneys who prosecute crimes within Indian Country at the federal level seeking information on prosecution rates for crimes of sexual violence committed against Native American women. Amnesty International was informed by the Executive Office of US Attorneys that individual US attorneys would not be permitted to participate in the survey. The Executive Office for US Attorneys did provide Amnesty International with a list of some of the cases of sexual violence arising in Indian Country that had been prosecuted in recent years. Of the 84 cases provided, only 20 involved adult women. The remaining cases mostly involved children. In the cases listed, prosecutions for sexual violence against adult Native American women took place in only eight of the 93 districts, and only Arizona and South Dakota saw more than two.

While data on sexual violence specifically from Indian Country is not compiled, from October 1, 2002 to September 30, 2003, federal prosecutors declined to prosecute 60.3 per cent of sexual violence cases. These statistics include all cases involving Native and non-Native victims, nevertheless, the numbers provide some indication of the extent to which these crimes go unpunished. Significantly, between 2000 and 2003, the Bureau of Indian Affairs was consistently among the investigating agencies with the highest percentage of cases declined by federal prosecutors.

Congress should develop comprehensive plans of action to stop violence against American Indian women and ensure that survivors have access to justice.

Key Recommendations:

* Federal authorities should, in consultation with Native American peoples, collect and publish detailed and comprehensive data on rape and other sexual violence that shows the Indigenous or other status of victims and perpetrators and the localities where such offences take place, the number of cases referred for prosecution, the number declined by prosecutors and the reasons why.

* Prosecutors should vigorously prosecute cases of sexual violence against Native American women, and should be sufficiently resourced to ensure that the cases are treated with the appropriate priority and processed without undue delay. Any decision not to proceed with a case, together with rationale for the decision, should be promptly communicated to the survivor of sexual violence and any other prosecutor with jurisdiction.

Just a Reminder of Why We Do This....

Furnace Drive to Begin Shortly

When they bought the new house, Pretty Bird Woman House board members did not notice that the furnace was nearly dead. Before the winter, they will need a new one. While they have grant money to fund normal house operations and staff salaries, their current grants do not cover that expense.

That's where we come in. I am going to be starting a fund drive at the end of September for the furnace. If you would rite about the furnace project on your own blogs, I would be grateful.

Estimated cost of a new furnace is $5,000.

South Dakota winters are brutal, so the fund drive must begin soon.

Thank you all for your support.

Broken Justice in Indian Country - NY Times OpEd Today!

The issues that are front and center in sexual violence and domestic abuse in Indian Country have finally made it into an OpEd in the New York Times! The article is by N. Bruce Duthu, a professor of Native American studies at Dartmouth.

Last year's Amnesty International report (see the information links list on this blog), Maze of Injustice, did a world of good to get attention for the issue, including getting yours truly involved in helping the shelter, and this OpEd will certainly inspire others to get involved as well.

Here are some excerpts from the piece, which you can find here.

ONE in three American Indian women will be raped in their lifetimes, statistics gathered by the United States Department of Justice show. But the odds of the crimes against them ever being prosecuted are low, largely because of the complex jurisdictional rules that operate on Indian lands. Approximately 275 Indian tribes have their own court systems, but federal law forbids them to prosecute non-Indians. Cases involving non-Indian offenders must be referred to federal or state prosecutors, who often lack the time and resources to pursue them.

snip....

This section of the article deals with the reason things are such a mess in law enforcement

Thirty years ago, the Supreme Court formalized the prohibition against tribes prosecuting non-Indians with its decision in Oliphant v. Suquamish Indian Tribe. In this case, a Pacific Northwest tribe was attempting to try two non-Indian residents of the Port Madison Reservation for causing trouble during the annual Chief Seattle Days celebration — one for assaulting an officer and resisting arrest and the other for recklessly endangering another person and harming tribal property. The court held that the tribe, as a “domestic dependent nation,” did not possess the full measure of sovereignty enjoyed by states and the national government, especially when it came to the affairs of non-Indian citizens.

Then in 1990, the court extended its Oliphant ruling to cases involving tribal prosecution of Indian offenders who are not members of that tribe. Congress subsequently passed new legislation to reaffirm the power of tribes to prosecute non-member Indian offenders, but it left the Oliphant ruling intact.

This means that when non-Indian men commit acts of sexual violence against Indian women, federal or state prosecutors must fill the jurisdictional void. But law enforcement in sexual violence cases in Indian country is haphazard at best, recent studies show, and it rarely leads to prosecution and conviction of non-Indian offenders. The Department of Justice’s own records show that in 2006, prosecutors filed only 606 criminal cases in all of Indian country. With more than 560 federally recognized tribes, that works out to a little more than one criminal prosecution for each tribe.

So, the federal government must prosecute these crimes, but it is so ineffective that it is kind of useless. No wonder many women don't even bother to report these kinds of crimes - it's a lot of further pain and in the vast majority of cases, the perp is never prosecuted.

Professor Duthu ends his article with this:

Congress recently allocated $750 million for enhancing public safety in Indian country. This money will help tribes hire and train more police, build detention facilities and augment federal investigative and prosecutorial capacity for Indian country crimes. Ideally, the grant process will be efficient enough to make sure that this money reaches the places most in need.

But financial aid will not be enough to stop sexual violence against Indian women. Tribal courts have grown in sophistication over the past 30 years, and they take seriously the work of administering justice. Congress must support their efforts by closing the legal gaps that allow violent criminals to roam Indian country unchecked.

I'll be keeping track of this and letting you know if any legislation comes up that you can write to your Congressional Representatives about.

Training Announcement

Tribal Codes: Protecting Women from Sexual Violence & Stalking

September 23-25, 2008

This training event will be an interactive, hands-on, 2 1/2 day workshop on drafting or revising tribal sexual assault and stalking codes

Whether your tribal nation has existing tribal laws on sexual assault and stalking or is starting from scratch, this event will provide you with knowledge to begin crafting customized sexual assault and stalking tribal laws that meet the needs of your community including Adam Walsh compliance. Participants will walk away with specific strategies for law reform, including examples of laws from tribes around the country. No experience necessary.


Mystic Lake Casino and Hotel
2400 Mystic Lake Blvd., Prior Lake MN
www.mysticlake. com

$600 tuition for 2 1/2 day training – includes a copy of TLPI’s Tribal Sexual Assault Code Development Resource Guide and all training materials.

Multi-Disciplinary Teams (MDTs) are encourages to attend.

This is not an Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) sponsored event.
If you wish to use OVW grant funds to attend, please check with your OVW grant manager.

Please complete the attached registration form or online registration form (www.tlpi.org) and/or contact Arlene Downwind White

Arlene Downwind White
Tribal Law and Policy Institute
1619 Dayton Ave., Suite 305 St. Paul, MN 55104
(651)644-1125 or FAX (651)644-1157
Email: arlene@tlpi. org

Please Contact Your Congressional Representatives (UPDATED July 29)

Georgia Little Shield has asked everyone to contact their Senators about the Tribal Law and Order Act introduced by Senator Dorgan, with Senators Murkowski, Biden, Domenici, Baucus, Bingaman, Lieberman, Kyl, Johnson, Smith, Cantwell, Thune, and Tester co-sponsoring.

You can contact your member of Congress through Congress.org


UPDATE: Rep. Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin introduced this in the House on Friday, July 25th. You can see her statement, which was published online at Indianz.com here.

According to Senator Dorgan's office, the law would help by:

• Enhancing coordination between the Department of Justice, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and tribal communities about the investigation and prosecution of Indian country crimes.

• Encouraging more aggressive prosecution of reservation crimes at the federal level. Between 2004 and 2007, the United States declined to prosecute 62 percent of Indian country criminal cases referred to federal prosecutors.

• Enhancing the sentencing authority of tribal courts to punish offenders with up to three years imprisonment. Current law limits tribal court sentencing authority to no more than one year

• Expanding programs that authorize tribal police to make arrests for all crimes committed on Indian lands, and that provide direct access to national crime databases to arm police with vital criminal history information about suspects.

• Investing in existing programs meant to improve courts, jails, youth programs, and policing efforts in Indian Country.

• Addressing the epidemic of domestic violence and sexual assault in Indian Country by enhancing training and coordination to aid the investigation and prosecution of crimes of sexual violence.

Go here for the full press release.

Here's part of the Amnesty International press release on the legislation (for the full press release, see the posts below):

The Tribal Law and Order Act of 2008 is in direct response to concerns raised by tribal leaders, tribal organizations, Native American and Alaska Native women and the AI report, which helped bring widespread attention to the high rates of crimes on tribal lands and the obstacles that victims face in securing justice. Specifically, the Act is intended to clarify the responsibilities of federal, state, and tribal governments with respect to crimes committed in tribal communities; increase coordination and communication among federal, state, and tribal law enforcement agencies; restore tribal governments with necessary authority, resources, and information to address crimes committed on tribal land; combat violence against Indian and Alaska Native women; and to increase and standardize the collection and distribution of criminal data among all levels of government responsible for responding to and investigating crimes in tribal communities, including the data necessary to establish whether or not crimes are being prosecuted.

Georgia Little Shield Interviewed on NPR July 23rd

Georgia Little Shield was interviewed today on NPR for a story they did on the new Senate bill bolstering tribal power to prosecute rape cases. If you want to listen to the whole story, here is the link.

Way to go Georgia!

It is so gratifying to know that at least this time, the government is at least attempting to address this problem.

UPDATE: There's also an article on the bill in the Rapid City Journal.

Congratulations to Rep. Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin

From the Rapid City Journal

WASHINGTON -- South Dakota Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin is expecting her first child in late December.

In an e-mail to friends and supporters, Herseth Sandlin and husband, former Texas Rep. Max Sandlin, said they were overjoyed to share the news. She said they are looking forward to a "particularly blessed holiday."

Rep. Herseth-Sandlin has been a true friend of the Pretty Bird Woman House and we congratulate her on this wonderful occasion.

Breaking News: Legislation on Law and Order in Indian Country

This is an Amnesty International Press Release:

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL APPLAUDS INTRODUCTION OF LANDMARK LEGISLATION ADDRESSING JURISDICTIONAL MAZE THAT ALLOWS RAPE OF NATIVE WOMEN TO GO UNPUNISHED
----
Legislation is a 'Tremendous Step Forward' for Native Rights in the United States; Should be Further Strengthened in Collaboration With Tribal Leaders

(Washington, D.C.) -- Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) applauded today's introduction of the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2008, a groundbreaking attempt to tackle the complex jurisdictional maze that allows violent crime against American Indians to go unabated. The legislation, introduced by Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND), chair of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, includes a section that specifically addresses disturbing rates of sexual violence against American Indian and Alaska Native women, a subject that Amnesty International drew attention to in its 2007 report, Maze of Injustice: the failure to protect Indigenous women from sexual violence in the USA. The legislation is also co-sponsored by Senators Max Baucus (D-MT), Joseph Biden (D-DE), Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Pete Domenici (R-NM), Tim Johnson (D-SD), Jon Kyl (R-AZ), Joseph Lieberman (I-CT), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Gordon Smith (R-OR), Jon Tester (D-MT) and John Thune (R-SD).

"This legislation is an historic effort to tackle major jurisdictional challenges that allow crimes against Native American and Alaska Native peoples to flourish," said Larry Cox, executive director of AIUSA. "It will also open the door for Congress to address erosion of tribal authority. It is gratifying that the legislation is receiving bi-partisan support from a wide range of Senators, as this is a tremendous step forward in the fight to improve justice for Native peoples in this country."

The Amnesty International (AI) report exposed the disproportionately high levels of rape and sexual violence that Native American and Alaska Native women suffer -- 2.5 times higher than for non-native women in the United States, according to Justice Department statistics -- and the complex maze of tribal, state and federal jurisdictions that often allows perpetrators to rape with impunity. The lack of trained Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANEs) at Indian Health Service (IHS) facilities to provide forensic exams and gather essential evidence is another factor that leads to a failure to prosecute. The AI report raised concerns about the lack of prosecutions and the need for accurate information about prosecution rates.

The Tribal Law and Order Act of 2008 is in direct response to concerns raised by tribal leaders, tribal organizations, Native American and Alaska Native women and the AI report, which helped bring widespread attention to the high rates of crimes on tribal lands and the obstacles that victims face in securing justice. Specifically, the Act is intended to clarify the responsibilities of federal, state, and tribal governments with respect to crimes committed in tribal communities; increase coordination and communication among federal, state, and tribal law enforcement agencies; restore tribal governments with necessary authority, resources, and information to address crimes committed on tribal land; combat violence against Indian and Alaska Native women; and to increase and standardize the collection and distribution of criminal data among all levels of government responsible for responding to and investigating crimes in tribal communities, including the data necessary to establish whether or not crimes are being prosecuted.

Amnesty International noted that while the importance of the legislation cannot be underestimated, additional changes are needed before enactment to ensure that the legislation will benefit all Native American and Alaska Native peoples.

Amnesty International said that the welfare and safety of American Indian and Alaska Native women -- as citizens of tribal nations -- is directly linked to the authority and capacity of their nations to address violent crimes. The organization said that it is critical that the legislation be developed in direct collaboration and with the participation and consent of Native American and Alaska Native peoples, and that it must ensure that tribal authority is restored and maintained.

Amnesty International also called on the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, which handles funding levels for the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Indian Health Service, to seize this opportunity to increase funds to these critically under-resourced agencies. Without appropriate funding for law enforcement and medical experts that respond to Indian victims of violent crime, the problem will persist, the organization said.

"Given the historic developments this year, we now need Congress to follow through and ensure that this legislation is strengthened and passed," said Renata Rendón, Americas advocacy director for AIUSA. "Lawmakers must strive to increase support for this Act, improve its content through meaningful dialogue with Native leaders and advocates, and ensure its impact is actually felt."

In a one-year update to the original Maze of Injustice report, AI noted that throughout the year lawmakers have taken other notable steps to address the injustices perpetrated against Native women. For example, the U.S. Senate passed the Indian Health Care Improvement Act in February 2008, with an amendment by Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) that would seeks to mandate that the IHS develop standardized sexual assault policies and protocols in cooperation with tribes.

AI also noted promising initiatives on the local level:

* In Oklahoma, a law was passed mandating access to free sexual assault forensic examinations (rape kits) for all victims of sexual assault.

* The Alaska Senate established a task force to review the Village Police Safety Officer Program. The task force published a report in February 2008 recommending enhanced efforts to recruit and retain officers, thereby increasing staffing.

* On Standing Rock Sioux Reservation (North Dakota and South Dakota), the town council of McLaughlin approved Pretty Bird Woman House's zoning application to establish a shelter for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. It is the only one on the reservation.

These developments are welcome, but AI is concerned that they have not amounted to actual change on the ground. Local advocates surveyed for the Maze of Injustice update told AI that they had seen little or no improvement for Native women in the last year. To ensure concrete and measurable change, it is crucial that all relevant bodies in the federal government, in consultation with tribal authorities, take immediate action. As a start, the IHS should adopt and implement national uniform protocols on dealing with sexual violence and prioritize the establishment of SANE programs, while U.S. attorneys must begin comprehensive data collection that is made public, so that the number of sexual assault cases prosecuted is clear. For any cases that are not prosecuted, a reason should be given for why.

"The urgency of this issue is undiminished," said Cox. "This opportunity for lasting change must not be lost."

_______________

STATEMENT OF ZAYNAB NAWAZ
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL USA
July 23, 2008

(Zaynab is the communications coordinator, and gave the statement at the AI press conference)

Good afternoon.
My name is Zaynab Nawaz and I am a campaigner at Amnesty International, here today representing more than 400,000 members in the United States, and more than 2 million across the world.

I want to thank Senators Dorgan and Murkowski; Senators Johnson, Domenici and Thune, for your leadership in working for safety and justice in tribal communities.

We at Amnesty International were appalled when we learned that more than one in three Native American and Alaska Native women will be raped in their lifetimes. And we found it shocking that they are more than two and one-half times more likely to be raped or sexually assaulted than women in general in the United States. In researching our 2007 report, Maze of Injustice, we found not only that these crimes are incredibly horrific and widespread, but that all too often, the perpetrators are not brought to justice.

In working on this issue, I met Jami Rozell, a Cherokee woman in Oklahoma who was raped on state land. She decided to seek prosecution five months later but never saw her case brought to trial because the police had destroyed the forensic evidence.

When Native American and Alaska Native women report a crime, they face a dizzying maze of tribal, state and federal laws, and a chronic shortage of funds for law enforcement and health services that result in a denial of justice for thousands of women. Native women often do not get any police response, may never get a forensic examination and may never see their case prosecuted.

The majority of rape cases on tribal lands referred to the federal courts are reportedly never brought to trial. The Justice Department doesn't compile statistics on prosecutions of these cases, so it is impossible to know the true extent to the failure to prosecute occurs.

The obstacles to justice for these crimes are numerous -- but they are not insurmountable.

If passed, this bill will ensure that police officers are trained on how to respond to reports of sexual violence, and the Indian Health Service will finally be required to establish a standardized protocol for responding to survivors of sexual assault and rape, so that forensic examinations can be administered. This will help ensure that critical forensic evidence be obtained for the potential prosecution. And this bill requires U.S. attorneys -- finally -- to publish data showing the number of sexual assault cases that are prosecuted, and to give an explanation for any cases that are not. This is not too much to ask in the United States of America.

These components of Senator Dorgan's bill may sound simple, yet their impact promises to be tremendous. This bill can help take apart the jurisdictional maze that has been an obstruction to justice for too long.

This legislation is nothing less than a historic effort to tackle the loopholes that allow crimes against Native American and Alaska Native women to continue with impunity. This is an opportunity not for a short-term fix but for lasting change, change that is long overdue.

In moving forward, the members of Congress -- and all of us working on this issue -- need to ensure that this legislation benefits all Native American and Alaska Native peoples, and that it works toward ensuring tribal authority to protect Native women.

We are not under the illusion that this gap in justice is going to be solved overnight, but neither are we too patient when we see such a pressing wrong that must be remedied. The opportunity for repairing the maze of injustice is here and should not be missed.

Amnesty International encourages every member of the Senate to review this legislation and work with Senators Dorgan and Murkowski to make it even stronger. Together we can take a giant step toward ending violence against Native American and Alaska Native women.

Thank you.

Thanks for blogging PBWH at Netroots Nation

Thank you Heidi, aka Blissing on the Daily Kos, for blogging about the panel at Netroots Nation -- she was also the one who created the YouTube video that Andy posted below. You can see her Daily Kos diary here.

Also thank you to Amie Newman for the very nice article she did on her blog, RH (as in Reproductive Health) Reality Check, after she also attended the panel. Her post is here.

Andy also has a diary describing the panel over at Street Prophets, which you can find here. Great job on that, Andy.

Netroots Nation '08

I'm very tired after going to Netroots Nation, but I did want to blog that Georgia Little Shield, Director of Pretty Bird Woman House and Tinnekkia Williams, who is on the Board of Directors for PBWH came to Austin for Netroots Nation 2008!

Amanda Flott from Amnesty International also attended and provided a great deal of literature on the issue of violence against indigenous women in the United States.

Some thoughtful person (thank you!) posted a video clip of the panel on You Tube:


Thanks everyone for your support!!

Painting Project Photos

Scraping the house:






Painting




Almost like new!







Sweety Approves!



Thanks to all you donors who made this possible.

Ongoing Donations

A few people have asked how to donate since the painting project was completed, so I've added a ChipIn at the top of the page for that purpose.

Thanks so much again. You are making all the difference in the world to the women of the Standing Rock Reservation.

Painting Project Complete

Hey everyone, I just got some photos of the painting project. I've gotta run but I'll post them tonight. Wow, was that place ever in need of a coat of paint!

UPDATE: OOPS, the photos are in an Album format in Adobe. When I figure out how to separate them into a different form, I'll post.

But in the meantime I can tell you it was a very nice project and the kids seemed really happy to do it.

Thanks everyone

This will be brief. My gratitude list today includes:

1.The Netroots got Andy out of a big pickle with his family for overextending himself with Georgia's travel arrangements.

2. We reached goal on the painting project. The kids will be painting the house next week, so I'll post photos and info as soon as they're done.

Thanks again.

See you at Netroots Nation!

UPDATE: Here's the deal readers. Andy Ternay was the main organizer of the Netroots Nation panel I describe below, and he REALLY REALLY wanted Georgia Little Shield to be there. Unfortunately, the conference organizers could only pay about half of the cost of her attendance.

So, Andy decided he would pay the difference himself.

Well, the price of the airfare doubled just as he was making this decision, but he went with it anyway. Andy has a family to support, and this was really above and beyond the call of duty.

If anyone out there is so inclined, helping Andy out with this cost is helping the shelter. Why? Many of its main financial supporters will be at this conference and it will bring in new donations and new visibility. Andy knew that and that's why he was adamant that Georgia should be there.

Because of the discussion panel's topic, our failure to protect Native American women from violence, it will also make people more aware of the problems shelters like Pretty Bird Woman House are trying to address.

So, if you have any money to spare, Andy has been a major force in the effort to support the shelter, so if possible, can you help him climb out of this financial hole he's dug for himself? It would really alleviate some marital stress too :)

More on the conference:

Thanks to the organizing efforts and personal generosity of my partner in crime, Andy Ternay, Georgia Little Shield, the shelter director, and two other women, Amanda Flott, the regional Amnesty organizer, and Tinnekkia Williams-Three Legs, a Lakota activist, Amnesty's Stop Violence Against Women Campaign Coordinator, and member of the Pretty Bird Woman House board of directors, will be doing a panel discussion and tabling at the Netroots Nation convention in Austin, Texas the weekend of July 19th.

Our discussion is set for 9am on Friday, July 18th. It is entitled: Examining the Maze of Injustice: Our Nation's Failure to Protect Indigenous Women From Violence. For more information and everyone's bios go here.

See you there!

In the meantime, the church youth group will be painting the shelter! We're just $65 short of goal on the summer painting project.

UPDATE: Now we've reached goal on the painting project!!!! I'll post photos of the kids painting the house as soon as I get them.

Needed: House Paint and Sundries

Update on the shelter:

Pretty Bird Woman House has been EXTREMELY busy since it opened for business officially about a month ago. It runs at 100% capacity!

Another good thing that's happened has created a need for PAINT:
the Fellowship church had a bunch of young people volunteer for a week this summer. Georgia Little Shield, the shelter's director, told them that the house needed a new coat of paint, so that's what they're going to do. This means that they will need the paint itself.

Georgia asked me to get the word out that they need about 15 - 20 gallons of outdoor, oil-based house paint. Instead of trying to deal with gift cards or somehow sending gallons of paint, I started another ChipIn today (however, if you have access to 15-20 gallons of free paint or painting supplies, we'd sure like to know about it!). If you've got any painting supplies lying around the house that you'd like to donate, we'd really appreciate that too.

This kids are coming July 8th - 11th, 2008.

Just to remind you, this is what the whole house looks like.


Looks much better at a distance, doesn't it!

Other supplies also needed

Since the shelter is so busy, it is going through the following supplies especially quickly:

shampoo and conditioner
baby shampoo and wash
(especially) diapers

If anyone can contact their local Wal-mart, KMart or Target for donations that would be great.

Thanks to everyone out there in the blogosphere for your continuing support.

P.S. EVERY contribution matters, no matter how small. If you only have $5 to donate for house paint, we will be grateful for that too!

One Who Helps All People of this Land

That was the name Barack Obama was given when he was adopted into the Crow Nation in a ceremony in Montana today.


(photo from the Barack Obama website)

I am including this news here because Obama's policy proposals on Native American issues are the most thorough, well-thought out ones being proposed by any Presidential candidate. They have the potential to make a big difference in Indian Country, including services to women and children.

I wrote a diary in the Daily Kos a while ago that compared Clinton's and Obama's policy proposals, which you can find here. Clinton's proposals are also very good, but in the end Obama's were more thorough, especially because he promised to appoint a Native American adviser to his senior White House staff. This goes far beyond the mostly-symbolic gestures past Presidents and candidates have made. So, I was happy to see the news that he'd been adopted into the Crow Nation by Hartford and Mary Black Eagle.


(Myrtle Strong Enemy, 101, waits for US Democratic presidential candidate and US Senator Barack Obama, (D-IL), to speak in Crow Agency, Montana May 19, 2008. Strong Enemy is the oldest woman in the Crow Nation. REUTERS/Rick Wilking)

Here's an excerpt from an article in New York Times.

Obama, who would be the first black U.S. president, was "adopted" by Hartford and Mary Black Eagle and given a name which means "one who helps all people of this land."

"I was just adopted into the tribe, so I'm still working on my pronunciation," Obama told a crowd after stumbling over some of the native names.

"I like my new name, Barack Black Eagle," he said. "That is a good name."

Many in the audience wore traditional feather headdresses and some banged drums ahead of Obama's visit, the first by a presidential candidate to the Crow Nation.

An article in the Missoulian discussed what the Crow requested of Obama. In a prepared statement, Crow Tribal Chairman Carl Venne asked Obama to defend indigenous rights worldwide, appoint a Native American to lead the Interior Department and to honor treaty concessions.

Here are some excerpts from Venne's statement:

“This park is dedicated to our leaders who have fought for the United States in every war since World War I,” Venne said. “You know, during wartime bullets don't discriminate based on the color of your skin. Currently there are over 40 Crow men and women fighting in the deserts of Iraq and Afghanistan . We honor all those serving today, and we also honor Senator Barack Obama as the man who can bring them home safely.

“We want change in America today,” Venne said. “Instead of pouring billions of dollars into Iraq and quadrupling foreign aid to Africa , we need to spend money taking care of our needs at home, especially the forgotten first Americans.”

“We want America to be the leader it should be around the world and we ask that you, Senator Obama, commit to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples,” said Venne.

“We respectfully ask for tribal representation in formulating the policies that affect us a tribal adviser to the president in the White House, regular meetings with tribal leaders, and tribal officials in key positions. We hope to see during your administration the first Indian Secretary of the Interior. It is only right.”

“In Indian Country, we want new and better programs in health, education, and housing,” said Venne. “We don’t want to have to leave our homeland to get a job or a place to live. We want to have places for our children and grandchildren to live.

“When we send our children out into the world for their educations, we want them to be able to come home again. We have protected our homeland for seven generations, and we ask your help in protecting it for seven generations more.”

You can also find articles about this on the Daily Kos and Democratic Underground.