Native Communities, Policing, and Mass Criminalization

Monday, September 25, 2017

NATIVE VOICES RISINGCo-sponsors:

Tynesha McHarris

Fellow at NoVo Foundation

FFJ Co-Chair

Funders for Justice (FFJ) is a

national network of funders

increasing resources to

grassroots organizations

addressing the intersection of

racial justice, gender justice,

community safety, and policing.

Edgar Villanueva

Vice President of Programs and Advocacy

Agenda

• Getting Grounded in Context

• Nuances around Native Organizing

• Highlights of Key Native Movements

• Landscape of Philanthropic Resources for

Native Communities

• Funder Initiatives Around Native

Criminalization Issues

Panelists

• Morning Star Gali | Native Justice Now

• George Galvis | Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice

• Aleah Bacquie Vaughn | Criminal Justice Initiative

• Edgar Villanueva (moderator) | Schott Foundation & Native

Americans in Philanthropy

Context

These are actual child handcuffs used by the US government to restrain captured Native

American children and drag them away from their families. They were sent to boarding schools

where their identities, cultures and their rights to speak their Native languages were forcefully

stripped away from them.

Photo by Mary Annette Pember.

A History of Resistance

Caption states “North Carolina Clash: Indians with guns

raiding Klan gathering near Maxton”.

George GalvisExecutive Director, Communities United for

Restorative Youth Justice

Aleah BacquieVaughn

Director

Landscape of Philanthropic Resources for Native Communities

CJI Learnings on Funding to Counter

Criminal Injustice in Native Communities

Recognizing Limitations

• We are not the experts

• We are not the model

• Through our ignorance, we are unintentionally

part of the problem

• We are committed to learning and trying to

improve our partnerships (in number and

quality) to help secure freedom for all

oppressed people

Challenges to “Traditional” Funding

• Respect for cultural and religious grounding of work in

Indian country. A secular mandate is inappropriate and

imperious.

• Acceptance that the adversarial model may not apply –

instead, cultural restorative approach may be the choice to

support

• Limited access to 501(c)(3) sponsors due to dependency

on federal support

• Complexities of multiple territorial authorities –

reservations; pueblos; recognition of colonial, occupying

dynamics at play

Possible Entry Points for Funding

• Disproportionate sentencing• Harsh sentences of AIM and other political prisoners from the civil

rights movement

• Excessive use of solitary confinement

• Limited placement options for Indian youth

• Racist, anti-Indian laws still on the books in many

states and municipalities

• Missing and murdered indigenous women

• Re-entry Programs

• Racist, unconstitutional denials of religious rights to

imprisoned Native Americans

Helpful Steps to Enable More Funding In Indian Country

• Access to 501(c)(3) sponsors

• Assistance translating work into

“Foundation Speak“

• Identifying plans of action to support – with

targeted policies, institutions, or system

changing goals

Funder Initiatives Around Native Criminalization Issues

• Native Americans in Philanthropy

www.nativephilanthropy.org

• #GenIndigenous Fund

• Native Voices Rising

• Schott Foundation for Public Education

www.schottfoundation.org

• Equity in Native Education

• Criminal Justice Initiative – www.criminaljusticeinitiative.org

Join NAP and The California Endowment this October 5-7

for the #GenIndigenous Northern California Funder Tour.

nativephilanthropy.org for registration details.

#GenIndigenous Northern California

Funder Tour

Native Voices Rising

• NAP & Common Counsel Foundation

• Now open for applications by Native-

led groups that have a leadership

development program and seek to take

collective action to win progressive

social change.

• Nearly $410,000 has been awarded to

43 grassroots Native community

organizations that are involved in a

organizing and advocacy.

• www.nativevoicesrising.org

Thank You to Sponsors

NATIVE VOICES RISING