 The people who are represented here on this stage, our interpretation has ever tried to unite and have this without their show. They're doing an opera called People to our Producers, which is the national material on this stage. By native, we're going to be more about the Monument, representing the Monument Club at work. We're going to have this conversation. I've never heard the native language of the people here. Are there any other Lenape folks in the audience? If you are, please come join me. My people are the Wolfe Clan of Lenape, the Mohican. We live now in Connecticut, but we spend a great deal of time here in Manahata. So with woman Manahata, that's how we say welcome to Manhattan. I'm going to read you a prayer in our language and in English, and I'm going to struggle through it. Because here, our languages were not allowed to be spoken in schools, especially in Connecticut until recently. And we're recovering them. So please bear with me as I struggle with the age of what took place. Thank you for all the great women here today. They honor us with their stories. We thank you for all who made this gathering possible. We ask that you protect them in this space and everywhere along their healing trail. We ask that you open our ears and minds to the gravity of their precious words, so that we may not merely listen, but act or change. Miayo. Their taste is strong, punted, oiled. In weighted traps that fall, then rest somewhere near the muddy bottom. The traps are left to face. In winter, on the tops of River's Grease, black fish push their plump bellies down into the mud, as far in the ice as they can get. They wait. They're never seen swimming in their rivers. They don't jump up into the air to break their eggs' satisfies in. And then they're stored in bottles. Three fish can lay in the bottom of an average bucket. They lay there, belly down, that they imagine. They can sit in a bucket with no water, no mud, no food, no fish, merely lay there on the belly's still. But when brought back to their rivers, they're held in their very deep, very cold water. When gently primed in the cups of two human hands, the black fish eat. Its head moves from side to side, and then it swims away. Told me about the time he tried studying black fish for a science fair at school. It was spring, so he put his black fish trap down into the river and waited two days to go for black fish. He placed these in his bucket, which he placed in the back mudroom of the house near the golf hoop, because he had to wait until it fall. I said that he could eat black fish. That their taste is strong, pungent, oily. You eat them raw, and you eat them head in your mouth. If you eat the black fish, but at the same time the black fish swims to your belly with my cousin, he didn't eat his great-caught black fish. He wanted to study them, to open them, to see the guts and the bones that seem to dissolve into the spit. Imagine blood and a heart and lungs. He wanted to paint the black fish, draw its picture, label parts, find out how they set themselves upright in buckets, why they never surface their rivers, how they come to life after months pressed into mud. So he took one black fish and held it in his hand. But he didn't wake it. He took a knife and he cut it from anus to head up the belly. But he didn't see lungs. He held the knife in his right hand to the black fish in his left. But after the cut he couldn't hold onto the fish. It dissolved in his hand. It became a kind of thick black liquid goo. He tried to stop it from slipping through his fingers that the black fish goo got heavier as it dripped toward the floor. And the whole mess of it slipped off of his palm, gathering in a puddle at his feet. So he tried another same thing. If you cannot cut a black fish open to look at its insides, can you study its insides? He asked me. But he didn't give me time to answer. Instead he continued, I could cut another. I ate my last two black fish. And I ate the black fish that were sitting upright in my father's bucket. The ones he caught for feasting in late winter, Emily. I ate five black fish, he said. Good God. Nobody eats five. He ate one for health, but my cousin, he thought that if he ate a lot of black fish he could find out about the black fish's soul. About what they dreamed during the ice sober. About their survival through the harshest conditions, laying in buckets, in homes away from the cold, deep habitat of the river. And not about their sin down on the throat. He thought there was something that the black fish could teach him that he could maybe intern, teach his family and friends and teach her at school with the black fish. Made him puke. He came pouring out of his mouth, sliding over his tongue that same thick black goo he felt slipping through his fingers toward the floor. He had pulled out of there. Leaving him feeling cleaner than before, but with a pour. He lay down, belly pressed to the floor. He couldn't move, so he fell asleep. He told me, the black fish are unstudiable. They exist to live in rivers and buckets and valleys. You cannot cut a black fish open, please. Do not try. You cannot eat too many, trust me. But when the black fish entered your place, you pulled still and listened to what it says. It will tell you when to swim head first into nature. It will tell you when to press your belly down wherever you are and rest. It will tell you how to survive this world. It will tell you how to see things. How should I hold a pair of bags? I'm at the investigation in Cherokee, in Alaska. Well, I should see it is. Seafan. I used to watch you vote. Working for votes. I couldn't breathe. I was so nervous. I vote. 30. We got 30? We need 218. We need your vote. I got my vote. 31. Thank you. 62. It's my whole life. I dreamed of this. 85. I prayed for this. 114. 215. How are we supposed to vote? 216. We got this. 27. This is the story of my younger sister. At first it was hard to share it. I had to keep it a secret. I was too ashamed. Too embarrassed. Too afraid. Scared. Forgotten. I was silenced. I thought I'd be judged. For something I never did. But then it came together and I realized. We're not alone. We stood up. Together. We worked for change. Together. This is my story. And I'm here to share it. If I wasn't native, my story would be different. Would be different. If I wasn't a citizen of a sovereign Indian nation, my story would be different. I live in Alaska. When it comes to justice, that shouldn't make my story different. This is my story. And I couldn't share it. And he was fair as four years old. We were in this trailer house. And my mom was screaming. I'm under the table. The light from the other side is coming through. The pulse from the window. And the door is here. The couch is here. The TV is here. And the gun round is right here. And the table in the kitchen is right here. And I'm under the table. My mom is screaming. Not even now! He grabbed the gun. And he started beating my mother over the head with the butt of the shotgun. Until the only screams that could be heard were mine. And I think he beat her to what he believed was to death, a bitch who walked into the bedroom, slammed the door, and he sat down on this squeaky bed. And then I heard the thud thud of his cowboy boots hit the floor. And he laid down, squeaking again. And he went to sleep. So I followed over to my mom, the heart, because I think she's dead. And my mom said, she's in a white t-shirt, denim jeans, white canvas shoes, and a denim jacket. And of course the blood splattered all over her white shirt. And so I wiped her bloodstained hair off her face. And I put my face down to her mouth to see if I could feel it breathing. To see if she's breathing. And I can't feel it. So then I started crying again. I made myself stop crying again to see if I could still feel it rising. And it was. So I grabbed the blanket out of the couch and I covered her up. And I sat around her all night. And if I fell asleep, I would get mad at myself because, you know, hurry up and chuck to see if she's still alive, see if she's still breathing. And it's not that I could have saved her. It's just that I didn't want her to die alone. This is Lisa Bruto. She's not an actor. This is her story. She's one of our strong parts. There would be times we could be. I would take it and be chasing it. I would get her out. And I'm still just a little baby. And there is this feeling. And I'd say, Mom, get down. The moon is full. Get down. And then we would crawl across this big field until we got to the woods. And then I took her to my hiding place. And then we'd listen to dreams about how he was going to kill us when he find us. And she lay down and she'd go to sleep. And if I heard it coming, I would wake her up and I would take her deeper into the woods because he had been in Vietnam. So whenever he was afraid of the woods and the woods, the moon was our station very. If you're looking at it, because today is your first day to grow a lot better. It would be perfect. Yeah. You work for the federal government now. You'll learn to do with that. Are we going to change? Baba, you do know what that is. Yes. Violence against women? Yes. We work to stop violence. We don't promote it. I get it. You'd be surprised how many folks don't. Okay, so this is the funding office. We provide all the funds to the tribes for their DV programs. Of course, we don't at least not yet have an efficient mechanism that the tribes can use to apply violence. Oh, and I wrote the writing notes. Basically, you'll be doing all of the policy work for the implementation of the Baba grants in Indian country. Any questions? Yeah. Good. And welcome. We do so much work for the tribes. It's nice to finally have an Indian in the office. Father, I dropped him off and I made sure he was home when they were in the house before leaving. But he walked out to stand beside my car. I stayed in the car with the door locked but the windows were down. He seemed agreeable enough at first but then he became angry because I didn't wish him a happy anniversary. I told him that I really didn't think it was appropriate under the circumstances. He suddenly lunged in the car window and he snatched my purse taking out a small address book. He flipped through it and became angry and then suddenly lunged in again and snatched my car keys from the ignition and walked away. And he was going to throw the keys. We live in the mountains of western North Carolina. There are trees and woods, things like that all around pretty much everywhere. And that was the only car key I had and I thought if he throws that key if I don't have a way to get out of here I don't know what I'm going to do. And so I was trying to get the key kicked me and I rolled down a hill standing beside my car in the bottom of the hill. I didn't even know she was outside I thought she was in the house. And when I rolled down the hill I rolled into her and she fed up. And he grabbed her. I was trying to comfort her but he grabbed her and he was pulling. She must have been around four or five years old at the time. He was pulling so hard that I was sliding across the ground so I let go. He went immediately to the police department before I could get him to come there. Can I help you? I need a protective order for my wife. She's a danger to her children. What makes you say that? She hit her daughter. Lock her down, let her on the ground. I'm sorry but we don't have jurisdiction over non-Indians on reservation. She's enrolled. Please just fill this out and we'll process it. He was able to get a protective charge from the college. And jurisdiction and protective order against you. You think you're the first person to find a rat in this office? Not sure they're making much of a difference. So give them this different try. That's not the issue. What's the issue? Are we going to break... Like any funding at all a lot of women work really hard at night before to get the violence against women as a pass. You should be thankful for what you have My people have been here for thousands of years. From the time of the glaciers until laughing I know that my ancestors sat on the same rocks hunted the same sea camped along the same rivers. They made them campfires where our fires still burn today. Within the last 60 years since 1959 our whole world has changed. When I was born the state didn't exist. This wasn't Alaska. This was our home. The home of my grandparents and their grandparents before them. Imana, where my family and I live today this is where we came to fish. We didn't live here year round. We camped here during the summer and whatever we caught we ate the whole winter. The fish are how my ancestors survived and they're how I survived. Imana means in Yupik. In Yupik we say Imanak and said Imanak Here this is where we came to fish for the black fish. But in 1959 they told us this is Alaska. Then the BIA showed up they built a school and told us our children had to go where our parents would be thrown in jail. So my parents my family had to move. They moved to Imana so I could go to school. When we got to school they told us we had to speak English. Anyone caught speaking Yupik would be punished. They told me Natives like my parents were dirty stupid ignorant but that wasn't true. In the state when they came in they took away our fish our food and our children. They took away our language and our sense of identity and in exchange we got alcohol and with their alcohol came their violence. We had never experienced anything like this before. Our women we weren't really sure what to do. For the first time in our lives we faced epidemic levels of domestic violence sexual violence in our villages and in our homes. Here in Imana it's very isolated there's no roads to connect us to other villages. Our women when they're abused they have nowhere to go. So in 1979 I worked to open the first and only Native women's domestic violence shelter in the state of Alaska. Of the 229 tribal villages in Alaska we're the only village that has a shelter. It's very important that we keep our shelter open 24 hours especially in the winter. Sometimes the wind chill can get down to minus 70 degrees. It's very expensive to keep the electricity going but in 2005 the state of Alaska withdrew all of our property. We were forced to close our doors and I thought we would remain close forever. And now to keep you open Terry take it it's not for me it's for the DOJ Grand Altar. When we had to close our doors if I put three wonders on two more they'd give them a shelter. Then? Suzanne has made it. You're here now and you're safe. The bar room on the right there are metronomical sheets on your bed and after you get settled in she'll make it. We've got a flight just to get here we're the only neighbor shelter in the state. There's nowhere else that can go. She's got a protection order and caught up against her husband. The state of Alaska refuses to honor it and that's why she's here. It's a protection order does they act to honor it? Won't. Not when the order comes from our tribes or from one of our villages. How can they refuse and where's the protection order? They say we don't have a shelter. Thank you friend who tribes do they want to provide shelter, food, counseling. Yeah but we have to do more than just give what they want counseling. Oh you're right. Please stand back and let me wait for my magic wand. Magic wand? We need jurisdiction. For the two new tribes in the state in their sense of creation here is where my grandfathers had to forget about your mother here is where we gathered seeds and grasses chuck cherries and fruit in the spring we planted corn beans and squash in these mountains and meadows and then we harvested badminton and then late in the fall when the air turned cold my family would move out of the mountains in the sheltered areas of the winter months. That is when stories were packed when our grandparents told our grandchildren who we are winter was when marriages were arranged when I came together in a sacred union it was a sacred talent born in the 70th presentation of my mother with her generation because of love he was considered a white man I lived there my whole life on my preservation when I was 36 years old I started dating a non-Indian a non-Indian white man believing he would be just like my dad loving and kind and gentle I was in love and life was wonderful and after the bliss of dating just two months we were married he moved into my house and lived with me and my children on the reservation to my shop three days after our marriage was the first time he ever assaulted me I thought after the first time it would never happen again but then it happened a second a third a fourth a fifth I called for help I called so many times but now whatever could help me if you were so upset would you make one of your calls you don't want to call anymore it's okay baby I'm going to chubble these in this emergency oh well not exactly I just want to apologize you see I got a little carried away this morning well I hit my wife who am I speaking with well I hit her very hard you know well I'm a white guy I had a problem you called before nothing's changed if you're not in gold we don't have jurisdiction he says he doesn't have jurisdiction thanks for the help officer when will you finally get it they can't touch me the answer was always the same we can't he's not in gold we don't have jurisdiction but I kept calling I called the police every time 9-1-1 9-1-1 I needed your help but every time I called it was just 5-4 they let him go I remember looking at those police reports and 8-point font years later my mom asked me to be her advocate police records and there were pages all of those 9-1-1 calls were an 8-point individual calls these would have to have been at least 7-8-9 pages that's how many 9-1-1 calls were made for help and he was never ever once ever convicted for what he did to my mother and she was always this way there was a time before before 1978 we had a jurisdiction before olifon I remember when I read olifon I couldn't believe it my dad called said you better read this a supreme court issued a decision it's going to change your lives 1978 the supreme court said we can't prosecute non-negatives we can't prosecute them if they come onto our lands and commit crimes 1978 they took our jurisdiction it wasn't theirs to take we have to take it back my stepfather my husband he's dominated, not in role after olifon he began to realize after olifon he knew it didn't matter if I had a bruise or cuts or a broken bone because of olifon he could kill me and it wouldn't matter oh seo and thank you for sorry I'll say oh seo you're not in Oklahoma anymore I have a question, yes how long will this take? about 40 minutes no, I mean the campaign how long will it take to get this bill passed with the tribal jurisdiction position with this congress what, a while? months, years well nothing to guarantee we've been working on this for about 3 years I'm well aware we sponsored the wife of a two-center woman who intended violence preparing to trap a wife I remember that and you think it's out of town we don't want to put money into this in congress, we're giving it an act for the 5 years we need it to act now you need it to act now this has nothing to do with me this has support for violence against women right, our appointment it has no effect on my service to the council this whole Bob Hawking I know she's very passionate about it what's your point? we need your section and we tried in 2005 what's your point? I'm the interject leads I know it's allowed to pass but you won't be the only ones no, I know samuel stepped up and chief anderson has promised to support the job talk this is not thinking about this is my tribe and their tribe divide and conquer has been the other side's philosophy so it's in 1992 what are our chances? to get a bill passed it's going to be very difficult but not impossible we couldn't get the dems on indian affairs to put in and travel on just last year if we can't win the dems we'll never reach the republic this is different just be in august we'll be tearing but every week we're trying to pretend to know what we should do and what we should do in spite of this congress to recognize the inherent sovereignty we have as a tribal government to protect our own people Mr. Whitehawk you're authorized to lobby on behalf of the eastern bank to share your fees for the reorganization of the violence against women act specifically to advocate for the passage of the proposed tribal jurisdiction provision we need to adjourn thank you we expect a full court press to get nothing less very difficult this will be difficult you know what is difficult listen to women who have been great to abuse, batter, ask for help you have to tell them there's nothing you can do but you don't have jurisdiction I'm sure you think you do I'm a tribal police before I went to law school I did a call where is she? she's on land and tribal trust she could be on fee land you can't just ask where is she you can ask who is he he's Indian he's not you don't have jurisdiction he's never wanted to answer your phone I'll get us two tickets to DC for Monday you're coming with me I need you to walk the hallways up there with me I think you're confused I hide you, not the other way around why me? I'm Dennis no one cares what I think or say you're a native woman you're in a position you're councilwoman Henry call me Terry I'll add my staff to get started on this right boy we need to do this now before this election we're publicized by many women in 2012 we can capitalize on that is there someone you can reach to across the aisle who's that? Mike Crickle you're going to take this to a republic? Mike's good no one's going to listen to a Democrat we need him I'll have my staff to send you a draft and we'll be able to get it and you're serious about this we are 100% behind you but are you really behind us? I'm not sure what you mean when you can't get the 60 votes you need who's going to be on the chopping block? well that's not how this works don't get cheeky with me Terry is there anything like the last four interviews you know who's going to be the first to fall off? not immigrants, but LGBTQs because we are a new women Bill is not going to protect anyone until it protects everyone I promise we won't remove the tribal jurisdiction official I'm the chair of the Judiciary Committee we're scheduled for a vote next week what's wrong? he's going to email for a staffer oh senator thank you so much for moving around your schedule what do we need to discuss? a valid point we know you intend to vote for that's not a woman in the Senate is it? the draft is still in committee it's scheduled for a vote next week the tribal jurisdiction provision the folks back as you know we mean your boss the AG makes a good use of editing the committee's already agreed on the language what about an exception? for Alaska what a great idea senator which I thought of that myself I can't just tell the committee I changed my mind well it's not the Alaska's difference you and I both know there are no tribes left in Alaska so senator Cohen yeah I know so why are we here? because we need his silence he has influence and she's the co-chair of the National Congress of the American Indians Committee on Violence Against Women we're here to talk about Lady Crapo if you've had a chance to read the bill I'm just going to stop you right there and be honest with you, we brought our pajamas your pajamas? yeah but we'll need to stay as late as we need to tonight to work this out what's on the table? we'd like to ghost some time you took out the jurisdiction commission we replaced it with federal delegations then we'll work with the jurisdiction Congress can't recognize jurisdiction in Indian tribes it's unconstitutional no, it's pre-constitutional territory? the tree before you was very empirical tribes don't have jurisdiction I mean if you're not leaders, you of course have jurisdiction over your own people just not your people if this is your intent to charm the senator to voting for the bill you're failing in the Senate but not in the House oh I'm sorry, does Senator Cohen want to get a vote in the House too? look, we're here to negotiate a deal with you and you want to negotiate with us so you do not have to negotiate with me and Torna of course, you'd have to agree to replacing jurisdiction with delegation never thank you for your time you might pass the Senate but you'll never pass the Senate my tone's fine we're asking the people to give us something we want no, no, no we're asking them to give us back something they should have never taken I agree with that but it's 2012, not 1877 we actually take it when we get where you going? to talk to senators, go get a vote Terry don't worry, I'll use my southern term no, I won't Senator Trump, any minute? I'd like to tell him a poem Senator Heller wants you to know you have his vote thank you thank you Senator Collins I'm Dennis Whitehawk, I represent the East Atlanta Cherokee and you want to talk to me about Bob? yes I like your answer you have my vote thank you Senator Heller agrees well, we need to be able to take your place if you have his vote I keep you so you just don't think it's going to happen Senator Smith we'd like to talk to you about Bob sure but jurisdiction is critical you have my vote thank you and the vote of every Republican woman in the Senate that's great you look surprised you didn't think a bunch of Republicans would support you on this let me tell you something we may be Republicans but first and foremost we're women okay, Senator Heller you might have enough votes don't do respect you won't change my mind you can't negotiate with Karen you can't negotiate with him let me get this straight big governments and inefficiencies the trial and jurisdiction provision restores jurisdiction at the local level you're taking authority away from the state and giving it to the Fed that's not in all what we're doing I read Bill he's voting for it he's voting for it wait, does he understand? Senator Toot let's talk to him about it the trial and jurisdiction provision is very important I understand your position when will he be back? I made up my mind I've already discussed it with him my vote is no he's against it you just don't agree here thank you for your time please, it's the votes next week everyone says they have a right to the waters but this water is ours we signed a treaty with you and the government and this treaty says this water belongs to us let me see what I can do you know I always want to help I need to be honest with you Sean the votes likely to happen the next day or so that's great the trial and jurisdiction provision won't be in it what? it's been taken out it's still in there still in we just don't have the vote there's just no traction on the trial and jurisdiction if we fight for it now we'll lose the whole thing we can't afford to lose the entire bottle we are so sorry we wrote letters, we can't hear them speak it's been decided please Senator I can hold a press conference if you agree to speak but you're a native woman and the senate needs to hear a native story from a native woman you don't know my story no, I don't but I know you need to share it you're trying to later, are you not? yes you're in here talking to me about your treaty rights isn't that what Allah is all about it really is my honor to introduce to you Vice Chairwoman Deborah Parker very courageous in coming forward today to talk personally about why this is so very important to her and so many other Native American women good morning my name is Deborah Parker I'm an enrolled member of the Talayla Tribes of the state of Washington I'm currently serving as the Vice Chairwoman of the Talayla Tribes yesterday I shared Senator Moray the reasons why the Violence Against Women Act is so important to our Native women I didn't expect I'd be sharing my own personal story I'm a Native American statistic sexual and physical violence my story starts in the 7th may wonder how do I remember this in the deep couch cushion one of the many girls violated and attacked by a man that had no boundaries or regards for a little child's life the man responsible was never convicted in the early 80s at a young age I was asked to aid babies of my auntie's children during the late hours of the evening she arrived but she wasn't alone instead of hacking my things to go home my sense was to quickly grab the children the four or five men that followed my auntie home we had to protect the children and hide not save my auntie or her crimes today is the first time that I've ever shared this story I've been editing on the age the perpetrators were never prosecuted the majority of our girls have struggled with sexual and domestic violence my question for Congress has and has always been why did you not protect me why did you not protect me or me why did you protect my family why is my life and the life of so many other Native American women less and more important I am urging Congress to uphold the U.S. Constitution in honor our treaty agreements thank you thank you now what do you need to you've been at it for days now we haven't seen you eat a thing I brought you a sandwich the sentence First Diction, Provision of the Reauthorization of the Law 2013 recognizes the rights of our Native American women as well as the inherent sovereignty of tribes to protect their own citizens sounds good to me do you get comments I think it's fine I don't think people hear comments I hear comments all the time I was trying to police before I went to law school your dad doesn't try to touch right, well that was my entire child I never got to sleep in on a Saturday morning because he was dragging me out of bed and throwing me in the car made me go with him trying to work I remember he always had like back then a legal case, it was like a book and he had these pretty loud cases we'd drive, several hours sometimes he'd say okay, read this to me so I would read the case to him and say, what do you think that means I try to tell him well maybe this guy did this and that person did that and he'd say, well think about this I was just a kid so I understood very little of it but he was teaching me at a very young age, should you respect the law don't I had to did your dad make you go? no, my decision was that first sorry, it's not something I talk about you don't have the TV on? no what the heck are you doing in here? we're talking you're not allowed to turn on CCTV they voted what? we won oh my god we got 68 68 votes? for real? we should have said this look, let me you didn't think we'd do it I didn't think we had the votes well you didn't, you've done the very last minute how long did you take me to convince you this campaign would be worth it? I didn't think you'd be convinced really? you had me at OCO special rule of the state of Alaska what? no tribes in Alaska have jurisdiction except that of Katla one tribe you have a 228 or else? they told you they were in for reason that would not be left out someone lied to us Kowsky? Kowsky said it was a drafting error it's definitely a drafting error why didn't you take it out? I couldn't you're on the committee the state lobbied hard on this one what was their position? 910 is needed to protect the state right you mean Alaska? look, I tried to get it out but we didn't have agreement we I'm not the only senator from Alaska I'm talking to the press I just need one quote I said no Senator Kowsky refused to comment I'll put the record on we're online at 20 it was a drafting error a drafting error? I didn't know it was in there who put it in? I'm not sure it states explicitly sections 904 and 905 do not apply to tribes in Alaska except a a metla metla Katla yeah you didn't know the bill contained a special carve out for your state I told you I did no it takes do you plan to fix it? it's not that simple Alaska is not included they carved you out why? Alaska's different Tom, it's good to see you congrats on best of the Senate thank you I hear you're representing the eastern man yeah you forget you're from Oklahoma? don't worry I still got my plans well it's good to hear how do we get Lady Crapo to the house of the tribe's art team? I'm not sure we can that's not what I wanted to hear well Boehner assigned Cantor to Bob I know and he's opposed to drive the jurisdiction based on what? I think the Constitution where the Constitution is a safe five no longer had jurisdiction? you don't have to convince me I know what's your plan? I'm not sure at this point Cantor's getting a lot of pressure from our women here in the house it's great but he managed to find the one woman who agreed with him to drive the Republican version of the bill with tribal jurisdiction without he can do it it's a Congress or a Red Bull we want a late camera what's this? a letter from Senators McCarthy and Laney what's it say? we should not let politics choose which becomes abused to help in which to reauthorize the legislation fascinating it is a strong message they won't sign you think they don't fit there to put it to a vote? would you like me to drive to a response? sure what should you say? I appreciate hearing their thoughts but I don't need to advise on the Senate on how to run the house what's the letter say about that? well if it isn't the gentleman from oh oh I hope I'm wrong no no no my three o'clock is cancelled I'm moving on oh if I'm with a man I've got Joe Biden beating down my door and every woman in the house wants to tell me what she thinks they're in favor oh you know where I stand I do believe me we'll get involved in the past it's not the Senate version you know I respect you I do I wish I could help you but I've got two committee chairmen blocking the Senate bill and they won't budge Hastings? yeah well I'll tell you this if you can get Hastings to vote for tribal jurisdictions we'll send it to the floor you and I both know that will never happen look free to come back to me if it does the candidate's bill removes jurisdiction you know what it's federal delegation you know that won't work but it will pass what did you draft the bill? me? you're a popular guy it will take you seriously not on any of you I disagree if I draft the bill it'll be dead in the water folks will say that's another one of Tom Cole's Indian bills we don't have a lot of options here it's not like I can ask a Democrat to draft this why is that he's Lebanese not Chickasaw that's like a whole different tribe seriously he's a strong supporter of the tribes and he's a chair of the Oversight Committee that committee has nothing to do with this exactly the committee exists purely to torture Obama he's overseeing all the investigations that look into Obama including Benghazi so we've got ourselves a bona fide respected Republican partisan if Daryl Eich's name is first on the bill folks will look at him check them see if he's going to bill I already did he said yes you should make the hot bill see if you go wrong I'll probably lose my next election Deborah I bought you a suit oh great month of life you okay? stop throwing up you need to sleep it's only you I got fail it's not enough okay we all need to sleep we're at tipping point Pelosi's behind us we've got Gwen Moore and Tom Cole out there in spotting bowls Patrick Kennedy and Jeff Bezos we just need to commit just a few more can't wait to make this bar thank you for everything we all have we gave up Christmas some friendship three months we don't get this how I told them that I failed that they are safe and their homes are on the reservations and anyone who comes to their home and there's nothing there to come for their try and do to protect them they have this kind of violence not like what we do now our men knew to new women in a sacred manner not to say every woman in a perfect society because we didn't but we certainly didn't live in a society where women are treated like this it was never like this they introduced it to them when the soldiers came around the rest of to send us on the trail of tears when they first put us on the reservations when they made it to the last state we had to die we had to go to the border to get our food to get our rations you know our commodities from the soldiers and when we went to the border to get our food what's this I've come from my ration we're all out please sir I have children I'm sure you do but we are all out I have to feed my children please come in the back you don't get something for nothing around here come in the back with me we need your children right they were right for food to feed their children right upon the soldiers just because they could they had to run they had to hide they had no choice our grandmother my grandmother she's a survivor survivors of war they weren't targeted because of the color of their skin we aren't targeted because of the color of our skin we're targeted because who we are is either as Native American women Alaska Native women because we're citizens of sovereign nations because we're a sovereign women it's been this way for 500 years since 1492 since 1959 since 1970 we're still sovereign I wish I could say war has ended but we need to get up to the top and the day we're getting it's time for change but to a vote so the bill that passes us the internet we'll reintroduce it ladies it's already dropping a new response what if we go back here if we can pass it before the end of January it'll be back in the house by the end of February we can pass it in the senate every year for 50 years that won't be in the house I know you're just a kid I'm going home Deborah I haven't seen my kids in three months is it defeat? what am I supposed to try? I haven't been here for months you tell them that Paddy Murray says one month from now we'll have Barwatch 2013 passed in the senate and Edward you have momentum you can't stop now very likely they can have a vote by the end of January well that's fast same folks and we don't you tell them to slow down we want momentum 90 miles per hour down a dead end road gets you nowhere we just had to convince Kater to put her to a vote and he's convinced it's unconstitutional it's unconstitutional well recognizing the tribes of jurisdiction only finds are you kidding me? have you read all of us? 100 times it still doesn't make sense to me but how do you explain the court's decision that after hundreds of years of sovereign existence a sovereign existence that predates the United States Constitution that all of a sudden in 1978 tribal governments lost their sovereignty it's gone I guess it just disappeared all I know is that when I was a kid I used to watch my dad reside in a tribal court my great-grandfather was the clerk of our chicken sauce supreme we prosecuted everyone Indian, not Indian black, white, French Chinese didn't matter you committed a crime on the reservation that tried to prosecute you I was nine in the supreme court decided I would I remember my dad in our tribal chair time Jim Standing Bear they went through about six pots of coffee that night and our kitchen tables talked about them they were upset they were concerned about what would happen to our people I was just a kid but I could see it on their faces Rachel and my sister she was six I remember she cried we were scared we'd never seen our dad so upset we really want your life we knew something was wrong when I was 18 I went out to school when I graduated I came home to work for Chocolate Police dad was so proud I was serving our tribe for me it was the first thing I ever did May 4th, 1991 storm that night kind of like a home storm and the thunder shakes the walls of the air still you watch the light dance and clean different directions across the skies waiting for the power to go on Chocolate Police Dennis it's Sarah oh hey and then they just showed up I think they were at the casino I don't know there were three of them and they were joking and they attacked them are you okay? where's Rachel? in my back seat she okay they grabbed her and I tried to stop them but they tried to grab me too and I managed to run away to get away next morning I remember talking to my dad you're just going to accept this what do you want me to do prosecute them I can't you can issue an order I can't I have no license to this you know their names we know where they live we know where they live so we don't have jurisdiction bullshit we know it we granted sir sir she already how do you know how to pronounce that we need this whole sentence we granted sir she already to decide whether Indian tribal courts have criminal jurisdiction over non-Indians we decide that they do not what do you think that means they lost it did you read the entire opinion yeah that made me read the last sentence finally we are not unaware of the prevalence of non-Indian crime on today's reservations which the tribes forcefully argue requires the ability to try non-Indians but these are considerations for Congress to weigh in deciding whether Indian tribes should be authorized to try non-Indians what do you think that means Congress has the constitutional power to recognize the inherent sovereignty in Indian tribes you go back and you tell Paddy Murray that she and lady get through the Senate I will do whatever the hell it takes to pass the House ladies raise your hand on Monday we need to get our women up here what do you mean we can do politics that's what we've been doing it's not working I'm a lobbyist you hired me a lobbyist you need to go you're the most powerful survivors it's pretty damn hard to tell a survivor she doesn't deserve justice and her debt you're accused of leaking number and not to your face this limit was started by survivors the only way to win it is to empower them you're right they have to speak for themselves our strong power are powerful do you think they agree to come here Lisa Bruder Wood yes she stood up and spoke out in 2003 when tribal leadership was to ignore the whole situation I remember and it's got Indianapolis that's why they created the tax force they're about share of giles yes yes Diana it's very powerful they all are how do we get from here I'm so happy I try to think for me why me shouldn't they be asking someone else and so when she asked me will you come in Lisa I had to really think about if that would be right for me would I be comfortable doing that I was mainly thinking about protecting my three daughters especially my youngest one she had no idea that I'd ever have to live my life in such a way maybe she'd sing those types of things on TV or in movies but she didn't know that these things happened in real life to people that she knows I wanted to protect her shield her I didn't want her to know but I can't shield her from everything she's already dating she could end up in a relationship with a young man who's not enrolled but not any of and if he were to mistreat her would I be okay knowing that I didn't do whatever I could to help keep her safe no I wouldn't be okay with that so I said yes I agreed to go to DC I agreed to share my story but I was diagnosed with sclerodoma and lupus and I started chemotherapy in a few days Diana I'm so sorry but if you can't come no I'm coming I have a serious illness but this is important thank you Egoity this will make a difference for all Native women I did this for my family and my children I did this for my sisters I did this for my daughter I was in and their blonde hair they were doing what I call hunting on a reservation not any dates they come hunting and rape and abuse of women with impunity my daughter was just in the wrong place at the wrong time I tell me a renovation she was she hit it but I did nothing so she came herself our sister raped on a reservation and it's all in the country so my daughter hearing out the stories about to put a girl being raped I tell you what happened I raised them and she was out there I'll drive by this is a great best this is a great best this is a great best stay away from here because she just got released from this mental health facility and basically they're going away to put away until he rapes someone then they will they already know he's such a dangerous person until he comes someone first you know rapes an ending girl we know the dangers of our environment and they know that and they know that we're walking bullseyes we're not targets walking bullseyes and so she went out to her middle of the night to go find my niece she didn't want my niece to get in trouble to sneak him out because she would have and as my daughter my daughter walked down the road four white guys in the black SUV with leather interior we're trying to get her into the vehicle and she said no she kept walking and this is the only biggest town that had our reservation population maybe a thousand and as she walked in we get more persistent she takes off running and they chased her down they jumped out of the vehicle and they dragged her to it but she seemed their white skin blue eyes and blonde hair and when they were done they threw her out by the fridge and as you know as you know this is the moment this boy that just went slamming to the earth such ungodly speech knowing that my baby was hurt I would touch her but it didn't work my daughter isn't an animal that is hunted she's actually a baby delicious there you go nope it's kind of a dance you just sprinkle a bit dessert yeah I made it for the what's that that's the ice cream there I asked what's in it a little bit of whipped sheepish seal oil salmon baguette you don't have to do it oh Liam you all shouldn't have got into so much trouble you came all the way so I'm not going to visit you have to be a thing listen I I want to talk to you about all of it we're thankful I want to talk to you about the legislation the Senate's going to go to a vote at the end of the month we'll be thankful I want you to come to D.C. is people leaving here your story we're going to try to get it back in? I hope no Murkowski won't let that happen that's why Congress needs to hear from you think about zero land management and survey yourself to many other native native villages in Alaska you know to divide up parcel off sections of land and then while our families we're out fishing that summer they auctioned off our homes our families got home to prepare for winter they come strangers living in their houses the federal government told us we could buy back we didn't have any money we're right about what you need before I met you I never know anyone who was chair but I read about your family tears I read about that your tribe won a case 1831 that said you have legal right to stay on your own lands the lands that your ancestors lived on for thousands of years and I read about how President Jackson ignored us coming before ruling enforced thousands of your people to leave their homes and move to strange new land and I read how many became sick and died I keep saying that sorry men we can't be the tribes in Alaska in this bill sorry men we'll protect Alaska Native women next time sorry men we just can't do it you know because Alaska is different because what happened to your people in 1839 didn't happen to us until 1959 where's past the Dawes Act to give all of your lands white settlers in 1887 but didn't pass Ansgood until 1971 because the Supreme Court took away decided that I had 1990 please someone explain to me how Alaska is different because from my advantage of being here in a monarchy it seems like we're all the same you know when I went up to college I'd grown up on the reservation around all my family when I was 18 went up to college they were hardly any Indians so it was a big transition and I remember sitting there in my door room and I just asked myself this question what am I doing here you know here with you come here I'll never forget I was sitting I was sitting against the wall volunteers in the territory our people were the ones who stayed we refused to leave even when the government came around us all up and started killing us as long as you lived you were never going to let this happen to any of people again you've been doing that a lot would you be willing to share your story when I was on the reservation my mother was Southern New and my dad was the first generation you could slog in a white man when I was 26 I married 36 I married believing you could be like my father kind and gentle and loving he moved down to my reservation and lived with me but we weren't married but for three days when he became violent the brutality increased after I left and I filed for divorce in order of protection one day I saw him pull up in our red truck he walked into our office there were constructions like that we both worked on he said you promised until death he was part so death it should be he was on the line if not for my brave co-worker to not be alive today my co-worker prevented my murder by pushing me out of harm's way and he took the bullet in his shoulder which was intended for me the shooting took place at a federal bureau of land management on site where we both worked the jurisdictional issues were so complicated that after the shooting the southern police the state Colorado controls are the Plata County sheriffs the city police and the federal agents were all at the scene of the crime just to determine who had jurisdiction the jurisdictional issues were so complicated that after the shooting all those services had their own major intakes and their own maps just to determine which one of them had jurisdiction at the point where the gun was fired from where the bullet landed to where my co-worker shot and laid I got five I got four this is clearly federal you are at least six inches away from federal jurisdiction the bullet landed on federal land the gun was fired from the state it took hours just to decide who had jurisdiction this belongs with the state five take it small potatoes the feds anyway there she is she's hiding behind some trees attorney and the federal government all agreed that the sixth judicial district of Colorado would prosecute which nobody ever asked me they would prosecute this case because he was never arrested or charged for any domestic violence crimes against me on tribal land the district treated him as a first time offender they offered him a plea agreement because he had left the scene of the crime he had a police chase with six officers he crossed two state lines it also put the law of the citizen harm's way the district attorney offered him a plea of aggravated driving under replication which meant that he didn't have a driver's license while he did his crime he took it immediately in the end none of the domestic violence or the shooting incident he was ever charged it was like the attempt to shoot me and the shooting on my co-worker did not happen nor was ever discussed again my tribe wanted to help me and he would have they would have charged domestic violence crimes but they could not because of the law in the end he was right the law couldn't touch him and he was about the law thank you thank you pass the 7 I knew we would we got 78 that's 10 more than last year 10 republicans switched over that's amazing come to the house work out oh I need some caffeine I got coffee great Terry doesn't need any caffeine this is great coffee you don't drink coffee no that's that's really bad for you I also brought eggs we didn't make them later you only need that eat that heavy granola stuff they're called cliff bars and they're really good for you there's corn syrup yeah you went to the law school in northern California okay okay we need to figure out the schedule I spoke to Jack said restoration magazine we'll be ready next week and what is it in the meeting with Black Caucus oh they got me one more and you said you'd be with Pelosi I did yes we discussed this oh okay okay I'm stuck I'm having a horse rocker what about Betty McCullough on my list I've got an iterative that's me don't forget you've got the code I think he's got me I'm sure you hope all the boys share it special okay we all know what we're doing sharing a story I'm sharing my story that's why I came to DC and I'm not leaving until I finish her I'm not going to leave her tell the small castings remember what Kareya's first said at the time you prepared for battle strong hearts to the press can you handle the press I'm with the Washington Post the Congress may not see you now do you have a minute sure but I'll thank you for coming too this is about trying to solve it I think that's a couple questions why are you here to speak up to share my story to stop the silence our women our children they're not saying what happened my coworker pushing me out of harm's way my husband he threatened to drown me he shot my coworker in the shoulder Alice white stories see what I can do it is a really 17% of Alaska's population 39% of Native women will become victims of domestic violence but we make up about 50% of all victims of domestic violence 88% of violent crimes committed against the women are committed by a non-Native because they took our land and they made Alaska a state and the dogs act they took our homes and gave them to settlers most of my neighbors are white because my husband was white he was never prosecuted anything else they come onto our reservation just to abuse our women in the community do you call the police the police doesn't help they can't do anything they don't have jurisdiction because you're on your reservation according to this great court because I am a Native woman living on my ancestors land the law won't protect me what kind of message does that send to our women I know what message it sent to me we have your vote I don't understand if the violence is so bad if you aren't safe on your reservation because she lives in your home your home is dangerous why would you be wouldn't the laws of the state protect you if you left your reservation no I can't leave this is my home my great-great-great-grandfather was wayagodoga or standing wolf during the time of the removal when the Cherokee were forced to walk the trail of tears he was living in the area that's now known as Murphy, North Carolina when the soldiers came to take standing wolf and his family a white man named George Hayes came with them Hayes had lived among the Cherokee people for some time and he had learned to speak Cherokee and the people were at ease with him so when the soldiers came standing wolf went peacefully but he asked to come back in a later time to get his wife and children which he did he was known as a man of his word he asked Hayes what he could do to avoid going west and be allowed to remain in his homeland Hayes advised him to settle his passions and when he saw the opportunity to break away and make his way back but to be caught escaping and severe punishment and even death several weeks later Hayes was working in his yard and he saw a small group of people approaching on the horizon it was standing wolf, his wife and several other Cherokees standing wolf's wife was a small newborn baby Hayes asked how did a standing wolf had gone away standing wolf replied that he'd simply done as Hayes advised when standing wolf was informed that all of his belongings and property had been auctioned off he said those things don't matter all that mattered was that he was back in the mountains this was home Hayes asked about the newborn baby and the standing wolf told him that his new son was named Wyatt had jumped out or come back home because that was the only wish in their hearts just to come back home this is why I and my grandmothers and grandmothers before me came to be in the mountains the Cherokee elders say that we have always been here we will always be here it's believed that we were given our home in the mountains by the creator since it was he who gave it to us only he can take it from us so did I ever think of leaving not once, never Hayes down here we will never leave this is our home this is home to 40% of all tribes what's the senator's position that's 229 federally recognized tribes there are no tribes left in Alaska we have lived here for thousands of years legally according to the supreme court there's no Indian country in Alaska now why does senator took Alaska out Alaska is different I just wanted to say I know it diverges from the party line but tribal jurisdiction is important and for me you have my vote risk I read that article in the New York Times Diane's story I read that story and I thought what if it was my mom my sister what if it was my daughter I would be your counselor and I thought yes Anthony did these break to see you today I have no way to even see well thanks for stopping by believe me I'd rather be here visiting with you than sitting on some committee I just wanted to say I heard their stories you've got my vote how do we get this passed well it's up to Kent I know but how do we get him to move he's stuck in his mouth I'm sure it helped if he heard from you directly let me see what I can do look I know what you're here to discuss I'm not putting it to a vote did you read the New York Times article are you kidding me I hate a press as much as you do you are the one quoting this is about perception 53% of voters in the last election were women exit polls show that Obama I heard the numbers Kathy I refuse to put Obama to a vote now like you did last year there will be consequences for all of us so close I didn't feel it but you think we had the votes votes were there we got a lot of press just buzz Lisa Brunner was up here walking the halls collecting votes I had a story at the time but serious the media coverage has things blowing up around here I've got members coming up to me and say they'll vote for the Senate that's great let's put it to a vote see where we come down Cantor isn't going to let this one go to a vote will you talk to him I've tried we can come this far and give up I know what I can say to you Nancy it was a treaty signer we came to DC to sign our very last treaty the last treaty before we were removed to Indian territory when he came here he came here as a leader of a sovereign nation at a time when the United States was taking everything from us the land we lived on the buffalo we lived with the only thing we managed to preserve was our sovereignty that treaty my grandfather signed recognize that like my grandfather I'm here because I'm a representative of a sovereign nation I know you are too I can't find the words you need to say to convince your party leadership as to a vote I know when the time comes you will I'm here because I don't want to have this conversation over here we need to vote you know the party's position on tribal jurisdiction I do and I'm asking you to put Isak Cole to a vote and pull the camel's nose up to the tent no one's nose is going under any tent your nose that's for sure what's that supposed to be you are supposed to be our guy working with them I think there's been a misunderstanding I'm their guy working with you now my great great grandfather was one of the last to travel the Chickasaw Trail he was only 14 he walked 80 miles from 1837 to 1851 the federal government moved everyone we lost everything except our sovereignty we got to our new home in Indian Territory my great great grandfather served as the clerk of the Chickasaw Supreme Court and after him, my great grandfather served as the clerk of our Supreme Court and then he served as the last Chickasaw treasurer before Oklahoma became a step now I come from a long line of Chickasaw leaders sovereign tribal government as I now serve now but also the state of Oklahoma and the United States my mother was the first Native American woman ever elected to the state senate in Oklahoma and now here I am in the United States House of Representatives I have a lot of respect for this government this sovereign government and how it works and it works because people vote they vote in the presidential election and in the state elections and here in the house we vote when a bill passes it passes when it doesn't get enough votes it fails but no one has to guess whether the majority of the citizens representatives were for or against a bill when there's vote it's all we're asking that's all we want please let us have the vote it's on the floor of the house on my reservation in Cherokee in Alaska watching CNN watching the vote working for votes we got 30 we need to 18 we need your vote you got my vote thank you 62 I'm drained to this 85 thank you 215 216 217 217 217 217 217 217 217 217 217 217 217 217 217 217 217 217 217 217 217 217 217 217 217 217 217 signed today, Bob will finally reach Native American women like me, and me, and me, and my daughter. If the violence against women at tribal provisions had existed 50 years ago, my story would be different. My story would be different. My daughter's story will be different. I want to thank Vice President Biden for his incredible leadership. It is now my honor to introduce Vice President Joe Biden. It doesn't cover rape. It doesn't cover murder. It doesn't cover what happened to my daughter. It excludes tribes in Alaska. It does protect me. It protects me. It protects me. But it does not protect me. It does not protect me. It does not protect me. It does not protect me. And it doesn't protect me. Shazara Caminger Roads. A Village of Ethnic. We have you before Imangah. I am you pick estímul from the Native Villains of Imangah. We were here before before you brought your schools. Before you brought your government. Before you brought your violence. Our ancestors have been here for thousands of years, and we will be. Rawa, 2013, it's a start. We have more work to do. Until this government recognizes our tribe's sovereign authority to protect all of our Native women. Until this government recognizes the rights of our Alaska Native sisters. None of us are safe. Rawa is a miracle, a spiritual miracle. Just as liver. But it's just the beginning. It's just as liver. The first sliver of all. Now to the audience, in case you have any questions that you would like to ask, we have all of our Native actors and survivors here. We also have tribal leaders in the room, and we have Joanne, Priscilla, Lynn, Tammy, and Nettie. We can also have answer questions about Alaska. So thank you all so much for coming. And another round of applause for these women who told their stories and clearly shifted the moment. Back in the chapter for the Church Center of the UN, and on behalf of the Academy of Women, and on behalf of this entire first African American woman in this position. And just to say to you that we stand with you, and want to know what's next, and what do we do to help get Alaska in. And so they drafted an exception in Section 910 of the Violence Against Women Act. And there's a whole campaign going, Section 910 has to be eliminated. And, Janice. So Section 910 of the Violence Against Women Act, just remember Rawa, Section 910 needs to be repealed. There's legislation introduced to repeal it. Senator Murkowski and Senator Begge from Alaska did introduce that just months after it was included in Bawa. So there's going to be legislation moving in Bawa 2018 if we have not repealed it by Bawa 2018. I hope every single person in this building will support a Bawa repealing 2018 and including Alaska Native women. And unless it includes Alaska Native women in Bawa 2018, we cannot accept it. Please, please, we need your support. Against women, Lynn, do you have any short thoughts or things you'd like to share with the people here today? I just want to thank everyone for coming in today. I know this is a very powerful play and it's an honor that they have included Alaska. We have been struggling for centuries and with very limited and no jurisdiction for our tribes in Alaska. As we had a young lady share my story, I come from a very small remote village and I have lived in my village all my life. And how we began the shelter from grassroots no funding and how the state took our funding away from the program that was serving Native women and children and the crisis calls that we were receiving from our cause, the tribes in Alaska. And how we had to take, we had to have women sleep and stay under the shelter because that was the only safe place to stay for them because they had nowhere to go. I just want everyone to support and help us out there because our women and family are dying. We have no support. There is no justice. So I thank you all for listening to our story. For listening to all of the Outlaw Survivors story. And it's best if you listen to our story from Alaska. Thank you. Good evening. My name is Bonnie Coral-Magney. I come from Telethon, Oklahoma from the Cherokee Nation. I am here playing. And I just wanted to present this to you. I've been so touched today. A fellow Cherokee, my cherokee sister. It's a Tobacco citizen. Big Cherokee from the Cherokee family. For thousands of years, we're as far back as we can go. And this is just something that everybody's ever looked at. We've got a Cherokee player here. And our Cherokee community values it. It is powerful. So I just want to make this to you. I know you want to. There's an election going on in Alaska. And Senator Beggage is running against Dan Sullivan. Dan Sullivan was the AG of the state of Alaska when they tried to pressure the senators to exempt Alaska from the jurisdictional issues. And we need any support from all over the country. If you can spread it, Senator Beggage needs to be bailed out. It's critical to the Native tribes in Alaska that Senator Beggage can be bailed out. In your individual community. And where you live and who you're a senator and what you do every day counts. Henry is the president of the largest union in the United States. Service employees, international union. Over 2 million workers in the United States being Native people. So I think as a movement together for what's right and just, we can change this for them. See women and the movement on history under VAWA 2013. Something that people told Terry Hedden and Terry Hedden. Meet the members of the cast yourself. Talk to Joanne or talk to Priscilla or Lynn. And in your first hands meet them face to face and shake their hands. So please get up and talk amongst yourselves and do as you will. And thank you once again for coming today.