WHEREAS, the National Indian Health Board (NIHB), established in 1972, serves all Federally recognized American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) Tribal governments by advocating for the improvement of health care delivery to AI/ANs, as well as upholding the Federal government’s trust responsibility to AI/AN Tribal governments; and

WHEREAS, there are unprecedented levels of domestic violence on Tribal lands and three out of five Native women will be assaulted in their lifetimes, and

WHEREAS, According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, US Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs at least 70% of the violent victimizations experienced by American Indians are committed by non-Indians and 59 percent of Native women were married to non-Native men; and

WHEREAS, violence not only results in physical injury or death but also has an underrecognized impact on women’s reproductive health, leading to more complications of pregnancy, unwanted pregnancy, miscarriage and sexually transmitted infections (STI), including HIV; and

WHEREAS, The Violence Against Women Act provides Tribes the opportunity to exercise their sovereign power to investigate, prosecute, convict, and sentence both Indians and non-Indians who assault Indian spouses or dating partners or violate a protection order in Indian country; and

WHEREAS, funding for domestic violence programs is woefully insufficient and these vital resources assist domestic violence survivors in attaining safety, exercising their legal rights, and other fundamental needs of surviving and reducing access to VAWA grants will lead to poorer outcomes for survivors; and