Lummi Nation is receiving close to $1 million in federal funds to fight violence against women and children and retain tribal sovereignty over crimes committed on tribal land.
An award announced last week from the U.S. Department of Justice gives the Lummi Indian Business Council a total of $863,977 through the Office on Violence Against Women Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction Grant Program, according to a statement from U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash.
Funds will help pay for services for crime victims and provide support for tribal governments, including law enforcement, prosecutors, and tribal courts, to enhance safety and support tribal sovereignty, Cantwell said in a statement.
“Indigenous women and girls are at higher risk for murder, domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking, and stalking — tribal governments in the state of Washington need more resources to solve and prosecute these cases,” Sen. Cantwell said.
Grants totaling $6.9 million were awarded to police departments across the state, as well as the several Indigenous tribes. Money will also help prosecution of sex crimes and domestic violence, speed toxicology of fentanyl overdoses, and reduce a backlog of sex crime DNA testing, the statement said.