Principal Deputy Director Allison Randall Delivers Remarks at the Office on Violence Against Women’s Fifth Annual Tribal Governments Program Summit

Remarks as Prepared for Delivery

Welcome to the 5^th Annual Tribal Governments Program Summit. We're delighted to hold this convening with you after such a long hiatus. And we are honored by the presence of so many Tribal leaders, advocates, law enforcement, and everyone here who is changing the way your communities respond to sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking, and sex trafficking.

I eagerly anticipated this gathering because it is a powerful and sacred space when we get together and the energy here this morning is on fire. The collective strength in this room moves mountains. This wisdom in this room creates solutions that the federal government could never develop.

Crucial to this summit are the values that are at the heart of OVW’s Tribal Governments Program and all of our Tribal grant programs – and our work as an office.

• The importance of honoring our cultures: Any solution that is designed or implemented must be built on the rich tapestry of cultural practices, values, and traditions that exist within Tribal communities. Culture is healing. Culture is prevention. And culture is essential for justice, too. Honoring culture also means not taking a paternalistic approach to grantmaking or pretending that the federal government knows best.
• Local and Tribe-specific solutions: There is no one-size-fits-all approach. Equipping Tribes with resources and support that allow as much flexibility as possible in how the resources can be used, is crucial. Local and Tribe-specific solutions often yield the most meaningful and lasting results. I know the flexibility we offer through our programming is never enough for a truly government-to-government relationship. We are bound by numerous statutory and regulatory requirements. But please know we are constantly asking questions, advocating behind the scenes, and getting creative to increase the autonomy of grant recipients.
• Strengthening collaboration: Continued partnerships between the federal government and Tribal nations is essential, as is supporting increased peer support among Tribal nations. We are so much stronger when we work together, sharing our best practices, resources, and insights. That’s why this meeting is so important – it give us the chance to connect with each other about what is and isn’t working, and to strategize about how to use federal and Tribal resources to make real and lasting change.

It is the federal government’s trust responsibility to support Tribes as they prevent and end violence. That is a profound responsibility. And investing in all of you, and being continuously driven by honoring culture, Tribal solutions, and collaboration, is a key part of how we do that. It’s our privilege to convene you here in Jacksonville this week and work together to advance our shared goals. I encourage you to use this time to mobilize, share best practices, and help us understand how we can be better partners and supporters to make your grant projects successful.

Many of you are among the first people a survivor encounters in the aftermath of violence, you know what your community needs find to safety, justice, and healing and ensure perpetrators face the consequences of their actions. And beyond the programs and services you offer, you're also addressing deep-rooted generational trauma and seeking holistic ways to bring healing to survivors and your communities.

For example, I was so excited last year to visit with the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska and hear about restorative justice programming being integrated into their legal services – giving survivors options to get justice and accountability that is meaningful to them.

Many of you know me and you’ve heard me say this before, but I just can’t say it enough: one of OVW’s top priorities is advancing Tribal sovereignty as a key component of how we end sexual and domestic violence.

This is also an overriding value that cuts across our grantmaking. We cannot end violence against women without Tribes being able to hold perpetrators accountable, without Tribes being able to offer customized services, and without Tribes being able to exercise their inherent sovereign jurisdiction.

These jurisdictional issues play out all across the country. Just last month, OVW Director Rosie Hidalgo, on her very first site visit, along with several of us from OVW, had the chance to travel to the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and see this in action. We were honored to meet with Principal Chief David Hill, Attorney General Gerri Wisner, and other leaders. We heard about 911 operators asking if someone is a citizen of the Tribe and telling them to hang up and call Tribal police if the answer is yes.

They also face incredibly complex jurisdictional challenges in the wake of the McGirt and Castro-Huerta decisions.

But we came away from that visit not discouraged but inspired by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation's steadfast efforts to solve problems by establishing detention facilities on Tribal land, building a new wrap-around service center that even includes mental health services, developing a culturally specific batterers’ intervention program, and so much more.

We have heard you loud and clear about the crises we must address. We’ve heard it in Alaska. We’ve heard it at consultation. I hear it on the Not Invisible Act Commission.

The alarming rates of violence against American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls cannot be overstated. If we want to address the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons, we have to tackle the sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking, and sex trafficking of American Indians and Alaska Natives.

Today, to further our commitment, I am proud to announce over $68 million through 88 grants to American Indian and Alaska Native communities to enhance services for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and trafficking. We are releasing awards for the Tribal Governments Program, Tribal Coalitions Program, Tribal Sexual Assault Services Program, Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction Program, the Targeted Alaska Native Tribes Initiative, Tribal Special U.S. Attorneys Initiative, and the National Tribal Clearinghouse on Sexual Assault grant.

That’s not all!

• We are adding a new Tribal Coalition, the Nebraska Tribes Addressing Violence Coalition.
• The Tribal Law and Policy Institute will support Tribes who choose to exercise Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction.
• And, as you heard from Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta when we were at consultation in Oklahoma, the Alaska Native Justice Center will lead a project to support Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction for Alaska Native Tribes and promote peer-to-peer support in Alaska.
• We are also renewing a technical assistance project focused on Tribal colleges and universities led by our fantastic technical assistance hosts for this summit, Red Wind Consulting.

More technical assistance grants will be awarded by the end of the fiscal year, including one to support Tribal grantees in Alaska, beyond just Tribal jurisdiction included in the Targeted Alaska Native Tribes Initiative.

Of course, it’s not just what we are funding, it’s how we are funding it. Throughout our partnerships, we’ve heard your feedback that we need to make federal resources easier to access and manage. I want to assure you that our Tribal Affairs Division and teams across OVW are trying to simplify solicitations, expand outreach, and better support Tribes in applying for and managing funding. That’s an important part of what we’re doing this week. 

The funding announced today does not rectify the devastating loss of loved ones. It cannot make up for trauma or for justice denied. But it represents a crucial step in the commitment from the federal government to ensure safety, prevention, and support for survivors.

It is our honor to support your relentless dedication, resilience, creativity, and strength in safeguarding families and communities. Survivors know best what they need to stay safe. And this collective of advocates and leaders assembled here today – each of you – knows best how to ensure Tribal safety. So, I hope you maximize this opportunity to learn from each other and help us at OVW find ways to better support your work.

Thank you for your time, your voices, and your unwavering commitment. Let’s use our time together at this summit to change the world.