Daines Announces $1.2 Million to Address Domestic Violence Safety for Indian Women
U.S. SENATE —U.S. Senator Steve Daines today announced $1,260,000.00 in funding for the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center, Inc. in Lame Deer to address domestic violence and improve safety for Indian women.
“I am committed to ensuring American Indian women have access to the resources they need to feel safe in their communities,” Daines stated.
Paula Julian, Policy Specialist National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center: “We are honored and humbled to continue to serve as the National Indian Resource Center addressing domestic violence and the safety of Native women. We look forward to continuing to work with tribes, tribal coalitions, Native organizations, our lawmakers, like Sen. Daines, and many others across the country to end the violence. With respect to the grant: “We look forward to continuing to provide critical technical assistance and training, policy development, and system engagement, and resource development for Indian tribes and Native Hawaiians addressing their local responses to domestic violence and violence against women.”
In June, Daines, U.S. Senator Jon Tester and U.S. Representative Ryan Zinke introduced a resolution to designate May 5, 2017 as National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Native Women and Girls in memory of the birthday of Hanna Harris, a member of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe who was murdered in July 2013. The resolution seeks to commemorate the lives of missing and murdered American Indian and Alaska Native women whose cases are documented and undocumented in public records and the media.
Daines is also an original co-sponsor of S. 1704, the Securing Urgent Resources Vital to Indian Victim Empowerment Act (SURVIVE) Act, which supports Indian victims of crime by requiring the Department of the Interior to use a dedicated funding stream from the Crime Victims Fund (CVF) to administer a competitive tribal grant program for crime victim services and assistance.
In the House of Representatives, Daines provided critical support and was key to securing passage of the Violence Against Women Act.
