Women, Violence, and Jurisdiction (Part 5): What True Justice for Native Women Requires

Day 5 of a 5-Part Series

The Violence Against Women Act has made real progress in Indian Country. It restored tribal power, expanded victim protection, and began to rebuild trust that had been broken for generations. But law alone cannot deliver justice.

True justice for Native women requires something deeper — a justice system that listens, believes, and respects sovereignty at every level.

Justice as Partnership

Federal, tribal, and state governments each have a role to play, but none of them can do it alone. Federal prosecution brings resources and reach. Tribal courts bring understanding and proximity to the people most affected.

The challenge is balance. When federal authorities take over every major case, tribal systems lose the ability to grow. When tribes are left without the tools or funding to protect their own citizens, victims lose faith in the system altogether.

Real justice looks like partnership — not hierarchy. It means working together while respecting the sovereignty of tribal nations.

Justice as Access

Justice also means access. Many Native women still live in rural areas with no shelter, no advocates, and limited law enforcement presence. For them, calling for help isn’t just difficult — it can be dangerous.

Expanding tribal courts’ jurisdiction is meaningless without the resources to make it work. True justice requires investment: more victim advocates, trauma-informed police, and courts that are equipped to respond quickly and fairly.

Justice as Healing

Native justice traditions have always valued restoration over punishment. For many survivors, healing begins not in a courtroom, but in being heard and believed.

That perspective has shaped new approaches in tribal courts — restorative sentencing, culturally rooted victim services, and community-based healing programs. These innovations remind us that justice doesn’t have to look the same everywhere to be effective.

Justice as Respect

Finally, justice for Native women requires respect — for tribal sovereignty, for cultural values, and for the women whose voices built this movement.

When Congress passed VAWA’s tribal provisions, it was an acknowledgment that the system had failed Native women for too long. Respecting sovereignty means ensuring that acknowledgment leads to action — consistent funding, deference to tribal authority, and accountability when the system fails again.

Looking Ahead

Protecting Native women is not just about laws. It’s about sovereignty, safety, and survival.

I’ve worked inside the federal system and within tribal communities. I’ve seen both the power of partnership and the pain of indifference. What I know for certain is this: when tribes are trusted to protect their own people, justice is not just possible — it’s stronger, fairer, and lasting.