TAKE ACTION!

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month

 

President Obama has proclaimed October 2012 as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Join the President and speak out against domestic violence and support efforts to restore safety and justice in Indian country, Alaska Native villages, and throughout America.

 

There is an ongoing epidemic of violence against Native women in the United States. Native American women are two and a half times more likely to be subjected to domestic violence than any other group of women in the United States. Statistics are staggering: 1 in 3 Native women will be raped in her lifetime and 3 in 5 will be physically assaulted. On some reservations, Native women are murdered at rates 10 times the national average.

 

Few of these Native women will ever see their perpetrators brought to justice due to jurisdictional gaps in federal law; gaps that fail to protect Native women from domestic violence, dating violence, and violations of protection orders by non-Indians; gaps that have stripped Indian nations of their authority over non-Indians who commit such crimes on tribal lands. This is particularly frightening considering that non-Indians now make up 77% of the population living on reservations. "All of these types of crimes, some 88% of which are committed by non-Indians, are prevalent on Indian reservations and threaten the lives of Native women daily," said Jana Walker, senior attorney and director of the Indian Law Resource Center's Safe Women, Strong Nations project. This violent reality must be stopped. Passing a stronger Violence Against Women Act with tribal provisions is the first step to restore safety and justice to Native women. 

 

GET INVOLVED!

 

YOU can make a difference on this issue by urging lawmakers to send a strong VAWA to the President for signature now! Join our petition drive to urge immediate action to get a better VAWA that will protect Native women and all women.

 

Visit www.indianlaw.org/safewomen for more information on the Center's Safe Women, Strong Nations project, which works to prevent violence against Native women by ensuring they receive equal access to justice.

 

Share our video resources through your social media networks to help raise awareness about this important issue.

 

Now is the time to seek changes that will improve the safety of Native communities, provide access to justice for Native women, and ensure that their perpetrators are punished.