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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JULY 9, 2021

NATIVE ALLIANCE AGAINST VIOLENCE RESPONSE TO MCGIRT V. OKLAHOMA COMMUNITY IMPACT FORUM

NORMAN, OK- The Native Alliance Against Violence (NAAV) is a non-profit organization created to unify Tribal domestic and sexual violence programs and help advocate for victims of crime. The NAAV would like to address the McGirt V. Oklahoma Community Impact Forum being held on July 13th in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The NAAV was verbally informed of the forum several days ago and asked to provide a table of information or participate in some manner. The NAAV’s sole interest in the community forum is to ensure victims are able to access services in Oklahoma regardless of location. The impact and trauma victims suffer as a result of a crime is already extremely devastating and the NAAV stands ready to connect victims to services in Tribal communities. Twenty-six Tribal programs provide services to victims of domestic, sexual and violent crimes throughout Oklahoma and each program provides an array of services in their areas for victims. The NAAV hopes that the forum’s focus will be on the victims and how to help them feel supported and access services and not exploited for a political agenda. NAAV’s interest in providing Tribal Victims Service information should not be mistaken for the support of the community’s forum. The NAAV did not participate in organizing this forum and was not asked to provide input. In addition, the NAAV was not involved in the development of the flyer, this was created without our knowledge or approval to be listed. The NAAV did not intend to appear to be a partner in the forum or intend to speak on behalf of any Tribal Government or Tribal Program. The NAAV is not a partner and did not have a role in assembling the panel or inviting victims to the forum. The NAAV was invited but declined to speak on the panel. The NAAV will not take the place of tribal representation at the forum and view the lack of formal invitations to tribal governments extremely problematic and horribly disrespectful of the government to government relationship. Instead, the NAAV remains true and steadfast for victims in Indian Country and will provide contact information to the Tribal programs throughout Oklahoma.

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The Native Alliance Against Violence (NAAV) is Oklahoma’s tribal coalition providing training, technical assistance and support to tribal governments, and tribal victim services program in Oklahoma. In addition to their work with tribal governments and programs in Oklahoma, the NAAV provides technical assistance and training nationally to OVW Grants to Tribal Governments grantees across Indian Country with regard to data collection and capacity building. More information about the NAAV and the tribal victim service programs they serve can be found at oknaav.org.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AUGUST 26, 2020

Oklahoma Tribes and Tribal Coalition Receive Continued Funding to Address Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Crimes in Indian Country

Norman, OK - Oklahoma tribal governments and the Oklahoma tribal domestic violence and sexual assault coalition, the Native Alliance Against Violence, were among the fiscal year 2020 funding awards of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) as announced by the United States Attorney Offices - Oklahoma on Wednesday, August 26, 2020 at a press event in Tulsa, OK.

Of the nearly $12 million in grant awards to assist law enforcement agencies, tribes, victims service agencies, coalitions, and local and state government within Oklahoma, as part of its efforts to address domestic and sexual violence in Oklahoma and Oklahoma Indian Country, the following tribal governments and tribal organizations received funding under the rollout of the DOJ fiscal year 2020 grant awards;

The Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma was funded for a 3-year Tribal Special Assistant United States Attorney project.

The Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma received $407,000 to update their tribal codes, policies, and procedure in preparation for exercising special domestic violence criminal jurisdiction under the Violence Against Women Act.
The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma was funded a portion of the $3 million granted under the OVW’s Tribal Governments Program to support coordinated community responses to violence against women.
The Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma was funded a portion of the $3 million granted under the OVW’s Tribal Governments Program to support coordinated community responses to violence against women.
The Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma was funded a portion of the $3 million granted under the OVW’s Tribal Governments Program to support coordinated community responses to violence against women.
The Delaware Tribe of Oklahoma was funded a portion of the $3 million granted under the OVW’s Tribal Governments Program to support coordinated community responses to violence against women.

The Native Alliance Against Violence was funded $353,615 for the continued work of the coalition to provide training, technical assistance and support to tribal governments and tribal victim service programs in Oklahoma, and a second award of $597,849 to strengthen the work of the NAAV’s Coordinated Indigenous Resource Center for Legal Empowerment (CIRCLE) project to provide civil legal assistance to victims of domestic and sexual violence.

“We are thrilled with the announcement of the continued funding to the tribal coalition, tribal governments, and the tribal domestic and sexual violence service programs through the Office on Violence Against Women grant awards,” stated Shelley Miller, Executive Director of Native Alliance Against Violence. “Continued program funding and funding for new tribal projects will help to meet the needs of and enhance the response to domestic violence and sexual assault victims in Oklahoma Indian Country. This will also ensure that Native women continue to be afforded culturally relevant services in Oklahoma.”

Native women experience disproportionately high rates of violence. The National Institute of Justice - the research, development and evaluation agency of the U.S. Department of Justice, released an alarming study in May 2016, confirming what many tribal leaders and tribal advocates working to protect Indian women and children already knew, that American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) women experience severe rates of violence in their lifetimes. The study included findings that: 

38% of AI/AN women were unable to receive necessary services, including medical care and legal services;
56.1% of AI/AN women experienced sexual violence; 
55.5% of AI/AN women experienced physical violence by an intimate partner; 
48.8% of AI/AN women experienced stalking; and

66.4% of AI/AN women experienced psychological aggression by an intimate partner.

The high rates of violence and the various intersections that Native survivors of violence must confront and navigate as a result of their victimization are further exacerbated by jurisdictional complexities, federal legislation that prohibits tribes from prosecuting non-Indian perpetrators for the crimes of rape, sexual assault, sex trafficking, stalking, and child abuse committed on Indian land, and by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The OVW Grants to Indian Tribal Governments Program (Tribal Governments Program), authorized in Title IX of the Violence Against Women Act of 2005, is designed to enhance the ability of tribes to respond to violence crimes against Indian women, enhance victim safety, and develop education and prevention strategies. Not including the fiscal year 2020 awards above mentioned, 19 of the 38 tribal nations in Oklahoma are Tribal Governments Program grantees, with many nations having received OVW funding for more than two decades, prior to the Safety for Nation Women provisions in VAWA.

The Violence Against Women Act was last reauthorized in 2013 and expired in 2018. In April, 2019, the House of Representatives passed a VAWA Reauthorization Act (H.R. 1585), a bipartisan bill developed in partnership with national and tribal advocacy organizations, voted in the affirmative by Oklahoma Congressman Tom Cole and Oklahoma Congresswoman Kendra S. Horn, reauthorizing the 2013 provisions and expanding prosecution of non-Indians to include obstruction of justice-type crimes, sexual assault crimes, sex trafficking, and stalking; expanding the definition of domestic violence to include children who witness the crime; expanding the Tribal Access Program to tribes without law enforcement; and expanding enforcement of tribal protection orders. The lifesaving amendments to enhance tribal sovereignty and safety for Native women of H.R. 1585 was widely supported across Indian Country. Senate bill S.2843 closely mirrors H.R.1585 with the expansion of covered crimes.

The OVW funding to the Oklahoma tribal coalition, tribal governments, and tribal victim service programs – past and present helps to increase services to Native victims of domestic and sexual violence, and enhance the response to these crimes at the tribal and federal levels.

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StrongHearts Native Helpline, 1-844-7NATIVE (762-8483), is a safe domestic violence, sexual assault, and dating violence helpline for American Indians and Alaska Natives offering culturally-appropriate support and advocacy. The calls are anonymous and confidential. More information about the helpline is available at strongheartshelpline.org.

New Leadership Announced for the Native Alliance Against Violence

NORMAN – The Native Alliance Against Violence has announced Shelley Miller as their new Executive Director. Miller was involved in the creation and development of the Native Alliance Against Violence back in 2009, and has served as the organization’s Advocate Specialist since 2016. Miller possesses over 15 years of experience and extensive knowledge of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking in Native communities.

“During this time of transformation, there is no better person to lead us into the next decade of service than Shelley Miller. She has demonstrated leadership, commitment, and passion for creating positive changes in tribal communities”, said Shawn Partridge, President of the Board of Directors of the Native Alliance Against Violence. “The Board of Directors unanimously decided that Shelley was the best person to help unify the voice of tribal victim service providers across Oklahoma. We are very excited to continue working with her to further our mission to end violence against Native women.”

In addition to Miller’s previous job title of Advocate Specialist, she also led progress on the Native Alliance Against Violence’s Coordinated Indigenous Resource Center for Legal Empowerment Project, or as it is otherwise known, the CIRCLE Project. The CIRCLE Project provides survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking with comprehensive, culturally competent, and effective legal representation throughout Oklahoma. Miller has also been previously employed as the Apache Tribe of Oklahoma Program Director, Oklahoma City University Native American Legal Resource Center Project Coordinator, and Apache Tribe of Oklahoma Advocate/Director.

“It has been a passion of mine to educate, advocate, and expand support for domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking victims,” said Miller. “This is a very exciting time in our organization’s history and I am honored to become the next Executive Director of the Native Alliance Against Violence.”

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The NAAV's Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Outreach Event and Awareness Walk was featured in the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribal newspaper. Read it here:

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Muscogee (Creek) Nation hosts Inter-Tribal Working Group Meeting

ITWG provides forum to discuss Violence Against Women Act

The NAAV would like to say congratulations to Shawn Partridge, the Director of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Family Violence Prevention Program. She was recognized during the National Crime Victims’ Service Awards Ceremony on April 13, 2018, in Washington, D.C.

Biography: Shawn Partridge is a citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and serves as Director of the Nation’s Family Violence Prevention Program (FVPP), an advocacy program providing supportive services to American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) and non-AI/AN victims/survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, stalking, human trafficking, and other violent crimes. Under Ms. Partridge’s leadership, FVPP has continually expanded services to include development and implementation of the Muscogee Nation’s first Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner program and advocacy and support to specialized populations, including teens impacted by dating violence and child survivors of sexual violence and their families. Ms. Partridge’s work also included the development of Warriors Honor Women, a powerful male-led movement within the Muscogee (Creek) Nation to end violence against women and children using traditional values and teachings to promote respect, healthy relationships, and safety for all people. Ms. Partridge is a founding board member and current president of the Native Alliance Against Violence, Oklahoma’s tribal coalition against domestic and sexual violence. She is involved in tribal-, state-, and federal-level efforts to enhance policies that increase safety and justice for AI/AN women and children and advocates for the sovereign rights of tribal nations. Ms. Partridge was involved in efforts to promote the 2013 reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which restored tribes’ authority to ensure accountability for non AI/AN individuals who commit domestic violence on tribal lands. Her efforts in promoting the reauthorization of VAWA helped lead to the historical legislation’s passage and becoming law. Ms. Partridge holds an A.A. in liberal arts from Haskell Indian Nations University, a B.A. in Native American Studies, and an M.S.W. from the University of Oklahoma (OU). She is an OU Anne and Henry Zarrow School of Social Work Board of Visitors member, and received the national Professional Development Leader Award at the School’s 2016 Hall of Fame ceremony and was honored at the School’s 100th anniversary for her contributions. Ms. Partridge credits her family, friends, co-workers, Mvskoke people, and OU for significantly enhancing and strengthening her voice as an indigenous woman, advocate, and social worker.

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