Tribal Law Legislation Takes Big Step

Thu, July 22, 2010
Posted in Alaska News, Top Stories

Libby Casey, APRN – Washington DC

A new law aimed at improving justice and safety for Alaska Natives and Native Americans is awaiting President Obama’s signature. The Tribal Law and Order Act won bi-partisan support, and passed the US House on Wednesday.

The President says he will sign it, and in a written statement called it “an important step” to help the federal government better address public safety challenges confronting tribal communities.

It mostly relates to Reservation lands and Indian Country outside Alaska, but Senator Lisa Murkowski, who sits on the Indian Affairs Committee, says the bill also helps Alaska.

It allows the state and tribal non-profits that employ VPSO’s, or Village Public Safety Officers, to apply for federal grants. Currently the VPSO jobs are only funded through state or congressional earmarks. It also lets the VPSOs train at the Indian Policy Academy in New Mexico.

Murkowski says one of the big problems with prosecuting serious sexual assault crimes, both in Alaska and on reservations, is the inability to collect and process forensic evidence. The bill calls for the research wing of Congress to evaluate the Indian Health Service facilities, and how evidence is dealt with. Murkowski says that’s a basic first step toward protecting women.

But one item that would have been a big help to Alaska tribes was stripped out of the bill. It would have called for a $50 million pilot project to allow Alaska tribes to create cooperative partnerships with the state and feds. The project would have enhanced the authority of tribal courts to locally address sexual assault, domestic violence and drug and alcohol related crimes. Murkowski says she’ll look for other ways to advance the demonstration project.

The director of the State of Alaska’s Washington DC office, John Katz, says it was important to the state that Alaska tribes were not given increased criminal jurisdiction as a bi-product. Most of Alaska’s tribes are not considered part of “Indian Country,” and so don’t have the same jurisdictional oversight. Katz says the state got on board once that was acknowledged in the bill.

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Comments

Rap0496678

Alaska is one of the few states still fighting against tribal soveriegnty. Tribes are "allowed " to have a say in matters such as child custody but in the end it is still decided in state courts.
Dowsmichael

We need capitialism and less government remember why do I need two countries permisions to do business love you
Byrdmoto

If you read the bill itself it strengthens Tribes powers, builds cooperation and collaboration between tribes, feds and states, funds for more tribal law enforcement, training and equipment and expands funds for tribal courts
Susinielsen

Remember Lisa Murkowski is ONLY 1 Senator, we as Native Americans must remember when we were not wards of the United States Government and we goverened ourselves.

I know my tribe , clan, and nation did not condone rape, physical violence etc. and we sure as hell didn't need white people to do it for us. When we as first people begin to act as the elsder nations then we will not be treated as children by the U.S. government.

We as voters put Mark Begich in as Senator by our own lazyness, all we have now is Lisa, so geve her the credit she is due.

In towns and villages throughout Alaska we need to clean up our own mess, we have allowed it to happen, shame on us. Bianky Crow
Arlen Lee

It's a step in the right direction...a STEP, at least!
Nancy Mcwilliams

An outrage! Without the funds to advocate thru education, train commuunity responders and prosecutors and magistrates/judges about sexual assualt in rural Akaska this legislation does not help Alaska. Sen M really doesn't get it. She must think that because there is a focus of this legislation it will give her votes. Please communities look at this carefully before you vote. nem
Your Fellow Alaskan

Maybe you should reread the article Nancy because I don't think you get it. What Sen M has done is increase funding to VPSO's by adding the federal government as a potential source of money. As well, this allows village VPSO's to increase their competency through training at the Indian Policy Academy in New Mexico and to improve the quality of evidence collected cases of sexual assault. We really don't need funds to educate and train community responders, prosecutors, and judges about sexual assault in rural Alaska because it's self evident. I agree with John Katz's postion though. Since Alaska doesn't have "tribes" as are found in the lower 48 (which not to say that Alaska natives are not comprised of unique peoples)

I think your post is designed as an anti Lisa Murkowski campaign tactic and it wouldn't matter what the article was about, as long as it was about one of Senator Murkowski's accomplishments, you would have written something negative.