A Victim-Centered Approach To Domestic Violence Against Native Women

Tribal governments across the United States are creating programs to improve response to violent crime. As sovereign governments, tribes can assert jurisdiction in criminal and civil actions involving assaults against Native women. In recent years, many American Indian and Alaska Natives governments have started domestic violence programs to improve greater protection for tribal women and children. The Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) has been providing funding and training to tribal governments since 1995. As sovereign governments, many tribes have asserted concurrent or exclusive criminal and/or civil jurisdiction in domestic violence cases. A key piece of responding to domestic violence is to draft or revise domestic violence laws.