U.S. Attorney Johnson Announces $6.2 Million in Justice Department Grants to Address Domestic Violence within Tribal Communities

TULSA, Okla. - Today, U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson announced the award of more than $6.2 million in Department of Justice grants to assist tribal governments within the Northern District of Oklahoma. The grants were awarded by the Department's Office of Justice Programs.

"This funding allows Tribal Governments with the Northern District of Oklahoma to build, support, and advance the citizens within their tribe," said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. "In return, Tribal organizations, crisis centers, and law enforcement agencies benefit from these investments and make our communities safer."

The Grants to Indian Tribal Governments Program assists Tribal governments and authorized designees of Tribal governments to:

• Decrease the incidence of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, sex trafficking, and stalking in Tribal communities;
• strengthen the capacity of Tribes to exercise their sovereign authority to respond to these violent crimes; and
• ensure that perpetrators of these violent crimes are held accountable for their criminal behavior.

The following organizations received funding from the Grants to Indian Tribal Government Program:

• Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma received $1,169,642
• Eastern Shawnee Tribe received $793,463
• Miami Tribe of Oklahoma received $792,148
• Quapaw Nation received $600,000
• Delaware Tribe of Indians received $282,632

The 2024 Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) Tribal Victim Services Program is for implementing services for victims of crime that meet needs identified by the community and reflect tribal community values and traditions. The following organizations received funding from the 2024 Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) Tribal Victim Services Program:

• The Eastern Shawnee Tribe, the Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma, and the Osage Nation each received $441,989.
• The Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma received $394,653
• The Seneca Cayuga Tribe Oklahoma received $254,413
• The Shawnee Tribe received $229,973

The awards announced above are part of the regular end-of-fiscal year cycle. The Office of Justice Programs grant page has more information about these and other funding opportunities.

About the Office of Justice Programs

The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation's capacity to prevent and reduce crime; advance equity and fairness in the administration of justice; assist victims; and uphold the rule of law. More information about OJP and its program offices - the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Institute of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office for Victims of Crime, and SMART Office - can be found at www.ojp.gov.

The Awards in Action

The Miami Tribe Office of Public Health/Wellness, the Quapaw Nation's Family Service Department, the Eastern Shawnee Haven Program, and the Peoria Shield are agencies of the Oklahoma Tribal Government that work to address violence against American Indian/Alaska Native women by providing survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, sex trafficking, and stalking referrals to local agencies and Tribes operating programs to meet various identified needs.

The Miami Tribe Office of Public Health/Wellness will use the funding to engage in building activities to plan and implement a new, comprehensive domestic violence program that includes direct services and community outreach. The Miami Tribe of Oklahoma has partnered with the Community Crisis Center of Northeast Oklahoma, a local non-profit, to plan this project.

The Quapaw Nation's Family Service Department will use the funding to: 1) expand outreach and education activities, 2) they will provide victim advocacy and client assistance services, 3) they will provide legal assistance to victims. The Quapaw Nation has partnered with the Native Alliance Against Violence, a Tribal coalition, to plan this project.

The Eastern Shawnee Haven Program is using the funding to 1) provide transitional housing to victims, 2) provide advocacy and emergency victim assistance to victims, 3) provide community outreach and education, and 4) provide training and self-care for advocates. The Eastern Shawnee Tribe has partnered with an advisory committee, including women from the community to be served, to plan this project.

The Peoria Shield is using the funding to 1) expand victim services beyond crisis intervention services, 2) develop a housing assistance program for victims, and 3) develop and implement a supervised visitation/safe exchange program. The Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma has partnered with the Native Alliance Against Violence, a Tribal coalition, to plan this project.