Restoration Magazine

Celebrating VAWA 2022

By Kerri Colfer, Tlingit, Senior Native Affairs Advisor, NIWRC
From left to right, seated: Kerri Colfer, NIWRC; Kelbie Kennedy, NCAI; Mary Kathryn Nagle, Counsel to NIWRC; Teri Gobin, Tulalip Tribes; Rep. Sharice Davids (D-KS); Deborah Parker, National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition. From left to right, standing: Dawn Stover, Alliance of Tribal Coalitions To End Violence; Rose Quilt, NIWRC; Libby Washburn, White House Domestic Policy Council; Chalyee E’esh Richard Peterson, Central Council of Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska; Lori Jump, StrongHearts Native Helpline; Bryan Newland, Asst. Secretary for Indian Affairs, USDOI; unidentified woman; Heidi Todacheene, Senior Advisor to the Secretary, USDOI; J. Michael Chavarria, Pueblo of Santa Clara; Lisa Koop Gunn, Tulalip Tribes; Kim Moxley, Senate Committee on Indian Affairs; Concetta Tsosie de Haro, Senate Committee on Indian Affairs; Michelle Demmert, Alaska Native Women’s Resource Center; Tami Truett Jerue, AKNWRC; Rani Williams, Office of Sharice Davids; Paula Julian, NIWRC; PaaWee Rivera, White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs./ Photo courtesy of Paula Julian, NIWRC.

After Long Wait, Violence Against Women Act Once Again Reauthorized Through 2027

On March 16, 2022, Tribal leaders, domestic and sexual violence advocates, survivors, and members of Congress were invited to an event at the White House hosted by President Biden to commemorate the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).

President Biden delivered remarks celebrating the expanded protections for survivors in the new VAWA bill, including protections for Tribes and Native survivors.

The bill, which was included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (H.R. 2471), was signed into law on March 15 and includes historic provisions to restore Tribal jurisdiction over non-Native perpetrators of certain crimes and provides much-needed resources to Tribal governments to address violence against Native women. This is the fourth reauthorization of VAWA since it was first signed into law in 1994.


Watch Remarks by President Biden Celebrating the Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act: n8ve.net/Fw3fl