U.S. Department
of Justice
Section 904 Task Force
The Task Force on Research on Violence Against American Indian and Alaska Native Women (commonly referred to as the Section 904 task force), is a federal advisory committee that provides advice and recommendations on the Department of Justice National Institute of Justice's program of research on violence against American Indian and Alaska Native Women.
The Task Force was authorized by Section 904(a)(3) of the Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005 (Pub. L. No. 109-162) and is subject to the requirements of the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The Task Force provides advice and recommendations on the development and implementation of a program of research that examines violence against Indian women in Indian Country and Alaska Native villages, including domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, murder, and sex trafficking, and evaluates the effectiveness of federal, state, tribal, and local responses to these crimes.
The task force was established on March 31, 2008 and rechartered in 2010, 2012, 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2022. The members are appointed by the Attorney General and are representatives of:
- Tribal governments
- National tribal domestic violence and sexual assault nonprofit organizations
- National tribal organizations
Over the years, Task Force members have provided feedback on the National Institute of Justice’s program of research priorities, research design strategies, research and evaluation protocols, and research and evaluation findings. To obtain input from additional tribal stakeholders, OVW has solicited nominations for new members.
Section 904 Task Force Members
| Continuing Members | Tribal Affiliation/State of Residence |
|---|---|
| Catherine Edwards | Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska; Washington |
| Chris Rutherford | Poarch Band of Creek Indians; Alabama |
| Emily Wright | Cherokee Nation; Arkansas |
| Francys Crevier | Algonquin; Washington D.C. |
| Holly Bird | San Felipe Pueblo, Apache, Yaqui, Perepucha, and European; Michigan) |
| Julia Oliveira | Wyandotte; California |
| Roshanna Toya | Pueblo of Isleta; Isleta Pueblo, New Mexico |
| New Members | Tribal Affiliation/State of Residence |
|---|---|
| LeToy Lunderman | Oglala Sioux Tribe; South Dakota |
| Nicole Matthews | White Earth Band of Ojibwe; Minnesota |
| Paloma Sanchez | Winnebago Tribe of Alaska, North Carolina |
| Royleen Ross | Laguna Pueblo; New Mexico |
| Starla Thompson | Forest County Potawatomi Nation; Wisconsin |
| Tami Truett Jerue | Anvik Tribal Council; Alaska |
| Tanya Grassel-Krietlow | Lower Brule Sioux Tribe; South Dakota |
- June 17, 2024: The task force met to receive updates and give feedback on NIJ's research program. The Task Force welcomed public oral comment. Go to a summary of the meeting.
- Dec. 13, 2022: The Task Force on Research on Violence Against American Indian and Alaska Native Women met to receive updates and give feedback about NIJ's research program, and facilitated a Task Force discussion on research findings and recommendations. The Task Force welcomed public oral comment. Go to a summary of the meeting.
- Oct. 22, 2020: The Task Force met to receive updates and give feedback about NIJ's program of research. Go to a transcript of the meeting.
- March 7-8, 2013: The Task Force met to receive updates and give feedback about NIJ's program of research. Go to a summary of the meeting.
- Dec. 9, 2009: The Task Force met to discuss a draft of recommendations on the NIJ program of research. Go to the March 18, 2010 recommendations.
- June 29-30, 2008: The Task Force met and heard reports from NIJ and OVW about federal stakeholders meetings; about the methodologies for the large, tribal representative study; and discussed a marketing strategy for tribal participation outreach.
OVW and the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) coordinate to support the administration of the federal advisory task force and to conduct research on violence against American Indian and Alaska Native women in Indian Country.
The research and task force are authorized by the Violence Against Women Act of 2005, Title IX, Section 904(a)(1)(2).
Learn more about the legislation
The research consists of multiple projects that will be accomplished over an extended period of time. The research is broad in scope and will:
- Examine violence against American Indian and Alaska Native women (including domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and murder) and identify factors that place 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 the responses.
The program of research is designed to 1) provide an accurate reporting of violence against American Indian and Alaska Native women in tribal communities, 2) provide reliable, valid estimates of the scope of the problem, and 3) identify problems and possible solutions that may lead to public policies and prevention strategies designed to decrease the incidence of violent crimes committed against American Indian and Alaska Native women. The research is the first national effort to collect information of this kind from American Indian and Alaska Native women living in Indian Country and Alaska Native communities
Learn more about the Program of Research at the National Institute of Justice.