Panel of Indigenous Experts to Discuss Violence Against Indigenous Women in the United States at the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

March 24, 2019 | New York, NY ̶ Speakers from American Indian tribes and Alaska Native villages and indigenous organizations are converging for an important panel discussion on violence against indigenous women. The side event, Violence Against Indigenous Women in the United States: How Indigenous nations and women are leading the movement to end the epidemic of violence in Indian country and Alaska Native villages, will take place at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, 18th Session, on April 24, 2019, from 11:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. EST in Conference Room 6.

Violence against indigenous women is at unprecedented levels in the United States. More than 4 in 5 American Indian and Alaska Native women have experienced violence in their lifetimes, including more than half who have experienced sexual violence. The murder rate for indigenous women in some tribal communities is 10 times the national average. The panel will discuss these extreme levels of violence, particularly the urgent situation of Alaska Native women who are subjected to the highest rate of forcible sexual assault in the U.S. and missing and murdered American Indian and Alaska Native women. Panelists will also describe how indigenous nations and women in the United States are leading the movement to end this epidemic of violence by securing reforms in United States law to protect the right of indigenous women to live free of all forms of violence and discrimination and to strengthen indigenous nations’ ability to restore safety and justice to indigenous women.

Panelists will include:

Terri Henry, a member of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, a founding member of the National Congress of American Indians Task Force on Violence Against Women, and Chair of the Indian Law Resource Center Board of Directors. Terri is of the Longhair Clan of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and is a resident of the Painttown Community of Qualla Boundary. She has extensive experience working in her tribal government, serving on the Tribal Council and as its first Tribal Council Chairwomen. Subsequently, she was appointed as Secretary of State of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
Tami Truett Jerue, the Executive Director of the Alaska Native Women’s Resource Center. She has lived for many years in Anvik, Alaska, a small Athabascan community on the Yukon River. Tami holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work and master’s work in Community Psychology and has long experience working in the fields of Indian Child Protection, Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault, Counseling/Advocacy, Mental Health Counseling, and Addictions.
Paula Julian, a Policy Specialist for the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center, the National Indian Resource Center Addressing Domestic Violence and Safety for Indian women. She assists with policy analysis and development, technical assistance, training, and the development of partnerships to strengthen laws, policies, and responses addressing violence against women.

The event is cosponsored by the Alaska Native Women’s Resource Center, the Indian Law Resource Center, the National Congress of American Indians, and the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center, Inc.

For more information, email Chris Foley at cfoley@indianlaw.org.