The newly-signed Tribal Law and Order Act is a "little step in the right direction" for Indian women, says Lucy Rain Simpson, an attorney with the Indian Law Resource Center.

"One in three Indian women in the United States is raped in her lifetime," Simpson, a member of the Navajo Nation, said at a gathering of the Safe Women, Strong Nation project project in Minnesota, The Twin Cities Daily Planet reported. "Three in five Native women will be victims of a violent assault. This is an epidemic of violence that the United States government should be ashamed of."

Simpson pointed out that the law allows tribal courts to impose three-year sentences. Currently, sentenced are limited to one year.

The law also encourages more prosecution of crime in Indian Country, increases penalties for offenders, reauthorizes key justice programs and establishes consistent protocols to address sexual violence.

Get the Story:
Safe Women, Strong Nations project combats rape on reservations (The Twin Cities Daily Planet 8/3)

Indian Arts and Crafts Amendments Act:
H.R.725

Tribal Law and Order Act:
S.797 | H.R.1924

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