More Prosecutions, More Transparency, Better Relationships

A report for the Attorney General on Indian Country highlights the improvements that TLOA has wrought. Federal prosecutions for crimes committed on reservations is up 54% since 2009. Tribes and feds are also working together to decide whether cases should be tried in tribal courts or in federal courts, resulting in building trust and respect on both sides.

 Declinations are still high in some areas, but in others, they're down to about 20%. In the past two years, declined cases were overwhelmingly due to a lack of evidence. Tribes and prosecutors alike insist that the declination rate doesn't matter so much as long as everyone is working together. Grant Walker, the tribal prosecutor for the Standing Rock Sioux, said, “Declinations aren’t really a big deal anymore to us because we know what the case is, and if the federal government declines we’ve already had a chance to prosecute that case too. So it’s not like the ball is hidden, and the prosecution’s office doesn’t know about it.”

Have you been seeing a difference in your community? Join us at SafeRez to talk about justice, health and improving our tribal communities.

Are You Ready For Fire Season? It's Here!

When a wildfire swept through this mobile home park early one morning, residents had no time to think about what they wanted to take with them, they just had to run for it, before everything they had burned to the ground. Even small shifts in the weather can make a wildfire grow in unpredictable ways and travel faster than people can mobilize to stop it.

Devastating wildfires are, unfortunately, a fact of life these days. Drought across the West, combined with bad beetle infestations and a century of fire suppression have created a kind of perfect storm of conditions. This year, the wildfire season is starting months early, with fires burning this week in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Wyoming, Florida, and Alabama.

The approach to emergency planning for wildfires is the same as for any other emergency:
Assemble a Kit-- get together something you can grab as you go, containing clothes, medication, documents, and other things you may need (including food and medication for pets!)
Make a Plan-- talk with other family members about what to do and where to meet
Stay Informed-- stay aware of local conditions

There's also plenty you can do to keep your house safer.