2011 Meeting | Task Force Members

The Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act of 2005, Title IX, Section 904(a)(1)(2), authorizes NIJ, in consultation with the U.S. Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women, to conduct research on violence against American Indian and Alaska Native women in Indian Country. The needed research is broad in scope, and NIJ is actively developing a research program for multiple projects over an extended time-period to address the issues. The purpose of the research program is to:

Examine violence against American Indian and Alaska Native women (including domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking and murder) and identify factors that place American Indian and Alaska Native women at risk for victimization.

Evaluate the effectiveness of federal, state, tribal, and local responses to violence against American Indian and Alaska Native women.

Propose recommendations to improve effectiveness of these responses.

National Institute of Justice’s Violence Against American Indian and Alaska Native Women: Program of Research (PDF)

Title IX of the Violence Against Women Act of 2005 (VAWA 2005) requires the Attorney General to establish a Task Force to assist the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) to develop and implement a program of research on violence against Indian women, including domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and murder. The program is to evaluate the effectiveness of the Federal, state, and tribal response to violence against Indian women, and propose recommendations to improve the government response. The Section 904 Task Force is to meet semi-annually to provide advice and recommendations to NIJ regarding the conduct of the program. The Attorney General will submit a report on the program’s findings and recommendations to the United States Committee on Indian Affairs, and to the United States House and Senate Judiciary Committees within two years after the enactment of Title IX.

The Attorney General, acting through the Director of the Office on Violence Against Women, established the Section 904 Task Force on March 31, 2008.

NIJ and OVW have started to organize a statistical and social science research panel to review the proposal and task force recommendations. The task force asked NIJ to address three specific areas regarding American Indian and Alaska Native women:

Declination rates (from the U.S. Attorney’s Office);

Homicide rates; and

Sexual assault rates.

OVW is pleased to announce the first meeting of the re-chartered Task Force on Violence Against American Indian and Alaska Native Women on December 14, 2011 at the Hyatt Regency Tamaya, 1300 Tujunga Trail, Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico, 87004. Title IX of the Violence Against Women Act of 2005 (VAWA 2005) requires the Attorney General to establish a Task Force to assist the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) to develop and implement a program of research on violence against American Indian and Alaska Native women, including domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and murder. The program will evaluate the effectiveness of the Federal, state, and tribal response to violence against Indian women, and will propose recommendations to improve the government response. The Attorney General, acting through the Director of the Office on Violence Against Women, established the Task Force on March 31, 2008 and re-chartered the Task Force on April 6, 2010.

This meeting will be the first meeting of the re-chartered Task Force and will include an introduction of the new Task Force members, presentation of the recommendations from the previous members of the Task Force, a presentation of NIJ’s program of research, a panel on other related Violence Against Indian Women studies and partnerships, and facilitated Task Force discussion of the program of research.

Federal Register Notice

Please email Lorraine Edmo, OVW Deputy Director for Tribal Affairs, to register to attend the meeting of this important federal advisory committee and/or to register to provide public comment at this meeting.

NAME	PROGRAM NAME
Jacqueline Rose Agtuca, Director	Clan Star, Inc.
Lanisha Genora Bell, Program Manager	Family Violence & Victim Services Program, Mississippi Band of Choctow Indians
Debra Elaine Gee, Deputy Attorney General	Chickasaw Nation
Ruth Mary Jewell, Program Coordinator	Penobscot Nation Domestic Violence and Sexual Assualt Services Program
Lorrie lee Jump, Program Manager	Advocacy Resource Center, Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians Victim Services Program
Dolorese (Dee) Marie Koester, Director	Washington State Native American Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault --Women Spirit Coalition
Patricia Lynn McGeshick, Program Director	Ft. Peck Family Violence Resource Center
Juanita Lucille Dixon, Vice-President	Juana Majel Dixon National Congress of American Indians and Co-Chair of the NCAI Task Force on Violence Against Indian Women
Jerene Marion Museth, Wellness Program Coordinator	Tribal Family and Youth Service Department, Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska
Carmen  Louise O’Leary, Co-Coordinator	Native Women’s Society of the Great Plains
Rachell Marie Tenorio, Graduate Student	MSW and MBA, New Mexico Highlands University
Crystal Cecile Tetrick, Associate Director	Urban Indian Health Institute, Seattle Indian Health
Grant Lynn Walker, Chief Prosecutor	Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
Lorraine Janice White, Director	Family Stabilization Program, Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center

Fourth Meeting of the Task Force on Violence Against American Indian and Alaska Native Women

The fourth meeting of the Section 904 Violence Against Women in Indian Country Task Force took place on December 9 , 2009 in Oklahoma City. Task Force members discussed a draft of recommendations for the Department of Justice on the NIJ program of research.

Draft Recommendations

Third Meeting of the Task Force on Violence Against American Indian and Alaska Native Women 

The third meeting of the Section 904 Violence Against Women in Indian Country Task Force took place on June 29-30, at the Office of Justice Program Conference Center, 810 Seventh Street, NW., Room 3102, Washington, DC 20531.
Panel members asked NIJ and OVW to report on the federal stakeholders meetings; to provide detailed information on the methodologies for the large, tribal representative study; and to discuss a marketing strategy for tribal participation outreach.