Featured Tribes
Pascua Yaqui
Tribal Court
Pascua Yaqui has been on the forefront of implementing the Violence Against Women Act, and was one of the first 3 VAWA Tribes who gained approval under the Pilot Program. Since that time, Pascua Yaqui has provided training on their experience.
Choctaw National
Tribal Court
Hailed as one of the most efficient tribal court systems in the U.S., the Choctaw Nation Judicial Branch takes pride in offering tribal members and Oklahoma residents a judicial process they can believe in. Each case is thoroughly presided over and treated fairly with the utmost respect given to the laws of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.
Moderators and Presenters
Tricia Tingle
Associate Director
Tribal Justice Support | Office of Justice Services
Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
Kara Bacon
Tribal Prosecutor
Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
Oscar Flores
Deputy Attorney General
Pascua Yaqui Tribe
Pascua Yaqui Tribe
With Support from:
Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
Gina South, Juvenile Division Chief Assistant Tribal Prosecutor, gmsouth@choctawnation.com
Lindsay Dowell, ldowell@choctawnation.com
Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services, Tribal Justice Support
Melissa Lee, Melissa.Lee@bia.gov
Simone Toya, Simone.Toya@bia.gov
Jo-Ellen Cree, Jo-Ellen.Cree@bia.gov
Kaylee Hudson, kaylee.hudson@bia.gov
The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013's special domestic violence criminal jurisdiction provisions is one of many Inter-Agency and Intra-Bureau collaborative efforts of the BIA OJS TJS to support tribal justice systems.
Violence Against Women Act Roundtable Discussion
Final Agenda
Tribes will be able to implement the newly enacted VAWA in October 2022. Efforts to increase access to services, healing and justice for survivors have improved with each iteration of VAWA. OJS/TJS is committed to facilitating a robust tribally led discussion to ensure tribes the successful implementation of VAWA ‘22.
Tune in virtually June 29 as featured Tribes Choctaw Nation and Pascua Yaqui Tribe convene to discuss their lessons learned implementing and litigating VAWA '13. The discussion, facilitated by expert judges, aims to serve any tribal court system assessing services as VAWA '22 takes effect. This tuition free discussion is part one in a series of related roundtables.
The 2022 reauthorization of VAWA strengthens this landmark law, including by:
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Reauthorizing all current VAWA grant programs until 2027 and, in many cases, increasing authorization levels.
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Expanding special criminal jurisdiction of Tribal courts to cover non-Native perpetrators of sexual assault, child abuse, stalking, sex trafficking, and assaults on tribal law enforcement officers on tribal lands; and supporting the development of a pilot project to enhance access to safety for survivors in Alaska Native villages.
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Increasing services and support for survivors from underserved and marginalized communities—including for LGBTQ+ survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking; funding survivor-centered, community-based restorative practice services; and increasing support for culturally specific services and services in rural communities.
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Establishing a federal civil cause of action for individuals whose intimate visual images are disclosed without their consent, allowing a victim to recover damages and legal fees; creating a new National Resource Center on Cybercrimes Against Individuals; and supporting State, Tribal, and local government efforts to prevent and prosecute cybercrimes, including cyberstalking and the nonconsensual distribution of intimate images.
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Improving prevention and response to sexual violence, including through increased support for the Rape Prevention and Education Program and Sexual Assault Services Program; expansion of prevention education for students in institutions of higher education; and enactment of the Fairness for Rape Kit Backlog Survivors Act, which requires state victim compensation programs to allow sexual assault survivors to file for compensation without being unfairly penalized due to rape kit backlogs.
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Strengthening the application of evidence-based practices by law enforcement in responding to gender-based violence, including by promoting the use of trauma-informed, victim-centered training and improving homicide reduction initiatives.
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Improving the healthcare system’s response to domestic violence and sexual assault, including through enhanced training for sexual assault forensic examiners.
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Updating the SMART Prevention Program and the CHOOSE Youth Program to reduce dating violence, help children who have been exposed to domestic violence, and engage men in preventing violence.
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Enacting the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) Denial Notification Act to help state law enforcement investigate and prosecute cases against individuals legally prohibited from purchasing firearms who try to do so.
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