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Audio: Senate Indian Affairs Committee hearing on Native women

Thursday, July 14, 2011

The Senate Indian Affairs Committee held a business meeting and oversight hearing today.

The business meeting was not broadcast online. The committee took up the nominations of Cynthia Chavez Lamar, Barbara Jean Ells and Debra Downing Goodman to serve on the board of trustees of the Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development.

Following the meeting, the committee convened a hearing titled "Native Women: Protecting, Shielding, and Safeguarding Our Sisters, Mothers, and Daughters." The first panel and two witnesses from the second panels testified before Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) called a recess at about 2:50pm in order to attend to votes on the Senate floor.

After a short break, the committee returned and heard from the remaining witnesses. Here is the audio of the hearing:

• Opening Statements
Panel # 1
• Testimony | Q&A
Mr. Tom Perrelli
Associate Attorney General, Department of Justice

Dr. Rose Weakee
Division of Behavioral Health, Indian Health Service

Panel # 2
• Testimony (before recess) | Testimony (after recess) | Q&A
The Honorable Donald W. Rodgers
Chief, Catawba Indian Nation

Ms. Carmen O'Leary
Director, Native Women's Society of the Great Plains

Ms. Sherry Sanchez Tibbetts
Executive Director, American Indian Community Housing Organization

Panel # 3
• Testimony | Q&A
Mr. Mickey Peercy
Executive Director, Choctaw Nation Health Services.

Ms. Sarah Deer
Assistant Professor, William Mitchell School of Law