Indian Arts and Crafts Amendments Act of 2010

Floor Speech

* Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 725, the Indian Arts and Crafts Amendments Act of 2010, and specifically the tribal law and order provisions now included.

* The federal government has a unique trust relationship with the 564 sovereign tribal nations in the United States, and it is part of this trust responsibility for the federal government to provide law enforcement in Indian Country. The United States is not meeting its obligation. There are not enough law enforcement officers patrolling reservations, and the statistics illustrate the consequences. American Indians and Alaska Natives suffer from the highest crime rates in the nation. Federal law enforcement failed to prosecute more than half of the violent crimes in Indian Country, including sexual assault cases. This is especially troubling because the U.S. Justice Department found that one in three Native women will be raped in her lifetime.

* That is why I urge my colleagues to support this bill and the tribal law and order provisions within it. This legislation improves law enforcement on tribal land by encouraging the prosecution of more crime, by increasing penalties for reservation offenders and by establishing protocols to address sexual violence. It encourages coordination between federal agencies, law enforcement officials and tribal communities for investigation and prosecution purposes. Under this act, tribal courts would be able to sentence offenders up to three years; currently, they can only sentence for up to one year. These changes are desperately needed.

* This bill is a positive step towards meeting our trust responsibility and protecting Indian Country. As a member of the Congressional Native American Caucus, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 725.

Source