DOJ, DOI Announce Commission to Address Violence Against Native Women
Renzo Velez | POGO
For National Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness (MMIP) Day, the Interior (DOI) and Justice Departments hosted a virtual event last week highlighting the new Not Invisible Act Commission. Together, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and Deputy Attorney General (DAG) Lisa Monaco announced the Commission's members, including tribal leaders, law enforcement, federal partners, service providers, families affected by the MMIP crisis, and survivors.
The Not Invisible Act (P.L. 116-166), which Secretary Haaland sponsored during her time in Congress, established the joint advisory Commission. According to its mission, the Not Invisible Act Commission will conduct hearings, collect testimony, consider additional evidence, and incorporate feedback from members when offering recommendations to the Department.
The Commission's responsibilities include:
Identify and respond to MMIP cases and human trafficking and shares reports with tribal, local, state, and federal databases;
Develop legislative and administrative measures to utilize federal programs, properties, and resources to combat the crisis;
Examine issues related to the hiring and retention of law enforcement personnel;
Align tribal, local, state, and federal resources to combat MMIP and human trafficking on Indian lands; and,
Share information with tribal governments about investigations and prosecutions of violent crimes on Indian lands.
Secretary Haaland identified the Commission as DOI's next step to address the MMIP crisis and its underlying causes. The recommendations are to further enhance intergovernmental coordination among state, tribal, and federal law enforcement agencies.
As the President of the National Congress of American Indians and a member of the Commission, Fawn Sharp noted that although public safety funding has increased, there is still much to do.
“In 2017, the Bureau of Indian Affairs estimated it funded only 21 percent of law enforcement, 49 percent of detention centers, and 3 percent of tribal court needs,” Sharp stated. “Tribal leaders have continued to share that the lack of security and sustainable funding has prevented us from holding perpetrators accountable.”
DAG Monaco also announced a new position within the Justice Department’s Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA) to ensure that survivors and their families have support when working within the criminal justice system. The National Native American Outreach Services Liaison will play a role in a larger outreach initiative to raise awareness about the MMIP crisis, according to the DAG.
“I know that Native voices have not always been heard on these issues, but this Administration is committed to doing better, and today’s announcement reflects that commitment,” DAG Monaco said, “Of course, we know that there is much more work to do, and this day is a reminder of just how critical those efforts are. Today, and every day, the federal government must be committed to working with Tribal nations to address the crisis of missing or murdered indigenous people.”