Celebrating Savanna’s Act passage

 

 

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Countless hours of tribal official and grassroots advocacy for missing and murdered Indigenous women (MMIW) and their families paid off Sept. 21, when lawmakers here in the nation’s capital sent Savanna’s Act and the Not Invisible Act of 2019 to the President for his signature.

Savanna’s Act, introduced in the Senate in 2017, spent years coming to the vote. It aims to makes law enforcement accountable for responding to MMIW cases, improving communication between federal, state, and tribal officials.

It also increases data collection related to these cases by requiring the Department of Justice to maintain a nationwide database for MMIW.

“This is very personal to every Indigenous woman. Most Indigenous women have a story of a friend or relative who has gone missing or has been murdered,” Marci McLean, executive director of Western Native Voice, responded.

“With the passage of Savanna’s Act, they are going to be seen and heard, and their stories will be told,” she said in a written statement. “There is still so much work that needs to be done and when the bill is signed, it will open up the conversation on a national level to address root causes of the widespread violence and injustice towards Indigenous women and all women of color,” she added.

“A proactive and preventative approach for our communities is vital towards building a safer future with unity and human dignity upheld by all agencies involved.”

Joining her in the statement was Lisa Casarez, a member of North Dakota Native Vote’s Board of Directors and the Mandan Hidatsa & Arikara Three Affiliated Tribes of the Ft. Berthold Indian Reservation.

“The passing of this bill would mean a lot to Indian country, and although it won’t bring Savanna back, it can provide Savanna and her family some semblance of justice,” Casarez said. “This can be one good thing that comes from a horrible murder that has happened right here in our own state and has affected Native communities across North Dakota and beyond.”

The act is named after Savanna Greywind, a pregnant 22-year-old North Dakota woman and member of the Spirit Lake Tribe who was brutally murdered in 2017. Indigenous women face more violence than any other group.

Savanna’s Act is supported by the National Congress of American Indians, National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center, Seattle Indian Health Board, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Washington, Alaska Native Women’s Resource Center, Western Native Voice, Friends Committee on National Legislation, All Pueblo Council of Governors (representing 20 pueblos), Intertribal Association of Arizona (representing 21 tribal nations), United South and Eastern Tribes Sovereignty Protection Fund (representing 27 tribal nations), Muckleshoot Tribe of Washington, the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, and Navajo Nation.

The Not Invisible Act of 2019 also increases the coordination of efforts to reduce violent crime within Indian lands and against Indians.

Specifically, it mandates the designation by the Interior Department of an official within the Bureau of Indian Affairs to coordinate prevention efforts, grants, and programs related to missing Indians and the murder and human trafficking of Indians.

In addition, Interior and the Department of Justice (DOJ) must establish a joint commission on violent crime within Indian lands and against Indian and submit a written response to the recommendations developed by the joint commission.

The joint commission must make publicly available recommendations to Interior and DOJ on actions to combat violent crime against Indians and within Indian lands, including recommendations for identifying, reporting, and responding to instances of missing persons, murder, and human trafficking.

The Senate unanimously approved both bills on March 11, and members of the House of Representatives unanimously followed suit in the Sept. 21 vote, celebrating the progress of the bi-partisan initiatives, which were part of a raft of five laws approved for Indian country that day.

Rep. Norma J. Torres (D-CA), Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Rep. Deb Haaland (D-NM) and Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) championed the passage announcement with statements of their own.

“Native women have endured horrific rates of assault, rape and murder for far too long, and innocent people like Savanna have been lost with too little effort spent on ending this scourge,” Torres said. “That shameful reality stops today.

“I am incredibly grateful to the bipartisan group of lawmakers who joined forces with me to champion Savanna’s Act throughout the legislative process and usher it to a successful vote today.

“While we celebrate this victory, every one of us knows it’s bittersweet. I hope this vote brings some closure to the countless family members in Native communities who live with the pain of a lost loved one every day. Their unwavering advocacy made this day a reality, and an untold number of lives will be saved as a result.”

Sen. Murkowski recognized, “The issue of missing or murdered Indigenous women has been a crisis for such a painfully long time. Many tribal advocates and family members of those affected worked so tirelessly on this issue, and I am proud to have worked alongside them to elevate this crisis at the local, state, and national level.

“The bipartisan action we have seen, from tribal communities to the administration, has been significant. With the Senate’s passage of Savanna’s Act now in both Congressional chambers, we are not just making headway, we are taking the necessary steps to make real, lasting change.

“Today is a big victory in our fight to provide justice for victims, healing for their families, and protection for women and children across the nation,” she added.

Cortez Masto pointed out that earlier this year, the Senate took an important step forward in addressing the epidemic of missing and murdered Native women and girls. “I am proud to see the House following suit today by passing Savanna’s Act to give local and tribal law enforcement the federal resources they need to address this crisis,” she said.

“Today’s vote brings us one step closer to finally acting to protect our Native sisters, mothers and daughters—and to honoring the memory of those taken.”

Haaland, who is a co-chair of the Congressional Native American Caucus, called Greywind’s story “heartbreaking,” adding, “The fact that there are an unknown number of stories like hers is terrifying.

“Everyone deserves to feel safe in their communities, but Native American and Alaskan Native women continue to face murder and violence at rates that should make our country ashamed,” she said.

“This long-standing epidemic will take time, resources, and dedication to resolve it—and today we’re taking a major step by passing Savanna’s Act to improve data collection of missing and murdered indigenous women which is critical to solving this problem.”

Newhouse considered the legislation “long overdue.” He said, “Throughout Central Washington and across the country, the families and loved ones of thousands of missing or murdered indigenous women are awaiting justice. This crisis has been going on for decades, and our Native communities have had enough.

“It is because of their voices and their strong advocacy that we are able to pass this legislation,” he agreed.

Savanna’s Act was previously introduced in the 115th Congress by Torres and former Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND). The Senate passed the bill, but it did not receive consideration in the House. In January 2019, Murkowski and Cortez Masto reintroduced the bill in the Senate, and in May 2019, Torres, Haaland and Newhouse reintroduced it in the House. It finally passed by unanimous vote in both chambers.

Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Chair John Hoeven (R-ND) issued a statement saying “Savanna’s Act addresses a tragic issue in Indian country and helps establish better law enforcement practices to track, solve and prevent these crimes against Native Americans.

“We appreciate our House colleagues for passing the bill today and sending it on to the president to become law. At the same time, we continue working to advance more legislation like this to strengthen public safety in tribal communities and ensure victims of crime receive support and justice.”

In addition to Hoeven, Murkowski and Cortez-Masto, Savanna’s Act was introduced by Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Christopher A. Coons (D-DE), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Tom Udall (D-NM), Jon Tester (D-MT), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR). Eighteen more senators were added as co-sponsors since introduction.

South Dakota Republican Rep. Dusty Johnson, a co-sponsor of the bill, remarked that being a “representative for a state with a large tribal population, I was proud to see legislation to combat the startling number of missing and murdered indigenous women pass unanimously.

(Contact Talli Nauman at talli.nauman@gmail.com)

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