Alaska Natives: Expand Violence Against Women Act
Trump administration has shown little support for granting broader jurisdictions to tribal courts
President Donald Trump shows off a gift during and event to sign an executive order establishing the Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives, in the Oval Office of the White House, Nov. 26, 2019, in Washington.
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump has signed an executive order creating a White House task force on missing and slain American Indians and Alaska Natives.
The task force will be overseen by Attorney General William Barr and Interior Secretary David Bernhardt. It is tasked with developing protocols to apply to new and unsolved cases and creating a multi-jurisdictional team to review cold cases.
Trump on Tuesday called the scourge of violence facing Native American women and girls "sobering and heartbreaking."
The National Institute of Justice estimates that 1.5 million Native American women have experienced violence in their lifetime, including many who are victims of sexual violence. On some reservations, federal studies have shown women are killed at a rate more than 10 times the national average.