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Alaska Inter-Tribal Technical Assistance Working Group (Alaska ITWG)

The Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization of 2022 (VAWA 2022) introduced the Alaska Pilot Program, which will enable Alaska Tribes to criminally prosecute non-Indians for specific crimes committed in their Villages. The primary purpose of the Alaska Inter-Tribal Technical Assistance Working Group (Alaska ITWG) is to bring together Alaska Tribes to collectively work toward enhancing safety and justice in Tribal communities with a particular emphasis on considering and preparing for the exercise of Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction (STCJ).

4th Alaska ITWG Meeting

Please join us for the next Alaska Inter-Tribal Technical Assistance Working Group Meeting! Space is still available!

The U.S. Department of Justice is pleased to announce that registration for the 4th Alaska Inter-Tribal Technical Assistance Working Group (AK ITWG) meeting is now open! This two-day meeting will be held at the Marriott Anchorage Downtown.

When: October 19-20, 2026, from 8:30 AM-5:00 PM

Where: Marriott Anchorage Downtown, 820 W 7th Ave, Anchorage, AK 99501

Click here to register. 

All Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction: Alaska (STCJ AK) awards are pre-approved to attend. Travel expenses, including airfare and lodging, must be pre-approved by the grant award agency if using federal funds; other DOJ OVW awards must obtain approval from their OVW Grants Management Specialist prior to booking travel. Multiple representatives from the same Tribe or organization must submit their own registration.

If you have any questions, please contact Lamesha Bowman at Lamesha.Bowman@usdoj.gov, Deborah Thomas at Deborah.Thomas@usdoj.gov or Leslie A. Hagen at Leslie.hagen3@usdoj.gov.

Alaska ITWG Objectives

The objectives of the Alaska ITWG include:
 
1. Peer-to-Peer Collaboration: Through participation in the Alaska ITWG, Tribes engage in peer-to-peer collaboration, in an environment where Tribes can share experiences, insights, materials, forms, and successful strategies, and build a supportive network of Tribes addressing public safety concerns.
 
2. Technical Assistance: The Alaska ITWG serves as a resource hub, providing Tribes with technical assistance, knowledge, and resources from Alaska justice system experts on public safety and justice system development.
 
3. Challenges Identification and Resolution: The Alaska ITWG serves as a Tribal forum to collectively identify public safety challenges faced by Alaska Tribes and to develop targeted solutions and strategies to overcome obstacles hindering the effective establishment and operation of Tribal justice systems and the implementation of STCJ.
 
4. Preparation for Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction: A central focus of the Alaska ITWG is to support Tribes deciding whether and how to implement the Alaska-specific provisions of VAWA 2022, which created the Alaska Pilot Program. More information about the Alaska Pilot Program, which will enable Alaska Tribes to criminally prosecute non-Indians for specific crimes committed in their Villages, is available here.
 
5. Funding Opportunities: The Alaska ITWG assists Tribes in identifying and accessing funding opportunities to support the implementation and improvement of tribal justice systems, with a particular emphasis on preparing for the exercise of STCJ.
 
For more information about joining the Alaska ITWG or attending an upcoming meeting, contact AlaskaITWG@anjc.net.
 

Participating Alaska Native Tribes

There are currently five Tribes in Track 2 of the Alaska Pilot Program and 23 Tribes with membership in the Alaska ITWG through Track 1.

Preliminary Pilot Program Tribes (Track 2):

  1. Chickaloon Native Village
  2. Organized Village of Kake
  3. Craig Tribal Association
  4. Central Council of Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes
  5. Native Village of Dot Lake
 

Helpful Links:

This project was supported by Grant No. 15JOVW-23-GK-05462-MUMU awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Who is eligible
Tribes
Service area
Statewide

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