Consultation Support

The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) requires the Departments of Justice, Health and Human Services, and the Interior to consult with Indian Tribes on an annual basis. This broad level interaction on a nation-to-nation basis provides Tribal governments and the United States to discuss matters that impact the safety of Indian women and to propose strategies to address these critical issues.

Tribal Title, Section 903 Tribal Consultation Mandate

The Tribal Consultation Mandate is found in Title IX. Safety for Indian Women §903. The law requires the U.S. Attorney General to conduct an annual consultation with Indian Tribal governments to address the federal administration of all Tribal funds and programs established under the Violence Against Women Acts (VAWA) of 1994, 2000, and 2005. The statute further directs the Attorney General to solicit recommendations from the Indian Tribes at an annual consultation concerning the following items:

  1. Administering tribal funds and programs;
  2. Enhancing the safety of Indian women from domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, homicide, stalking, and sex trafficking;
  3. Strengthening the federal response to such violent crimes; and
  4. Improving access to local, regional, state, and federal crime information databases and criminal justice information systems.

The consultations between the federal government and Tribal governments provide critically important venues to address violence against American Indian and Alaska Native women. NIWRC provides national leadership to end violence against Native women by providing political clarity about the root cause of violence, centering Indigenous worldviews, and vigorously advocating for the restoration of Tribal sovereignty and safety for Native women. This includes offering consultation support to educate on outstanding issues related to the federal trust responsibility to Indian nations and to assist Tribal leaders in developing testimony.

Our primary goal is to help identify priority issues and develop recommendations for systemic improvements to increase the safety of Native women. Our staff holds informational webinars and provides resource materials to help Tribal leaders, grassroots advocates, and Tribal coalitions prepare for consultations and engage with the federal government. For questions or assistance, please submit a request through our Contact Us page.

Note: The information and resources provided below will be updated appropriately as new dates and registration information becomes available.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Native American Programs (ONAP)

  • June 17, 2024, from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. EDT
  • Register

U.S. Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime (OVC)

U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women (OVW)

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Family Violence Prevention and Services (FVPSA)

  • Tribal Consultation on Improving Public Safety and Criminal Justice for Native Americans and Addressing the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous People
  • Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) Government-to-Government Consultation

U.S. Department of Justice Office of Tribal Justice

Consultation Resources

  • Restoration Magazine has been a critical resource in educating Tribal leaders, policymakers and community members about current and emerging issues impacting the safety of Indigenous women. The name of the magazine reflects a grassroots strategy that by strengthening the sovereignty of Indian nations to hold perpetrators accountable the safety of Native women will be restored. The magazine is produced and made available during national NCAI conventions and the annual USDOJ Tribal Consultation on VAWA. Restoration has served this purpose for nearly two decades and is a non-federally funded publication.