Families Deserve Safety: Confronting Domestic Violence in the Navajo Nation.

I am someone who will always advocate against domestic violence. Not selectively. Not conditionally. And not only when it is visible or convenient. Violence within the home affects women, men, children, elders and entire families, silence has never protected anyone. Advocacy, accountability and sustained action do.

Within the Navajo Nation, domestic and family violence remains a profound and ongoing crisis. Indigenous communities continue to experience disproportionately high rates of violence, while the systems intended to protect survivors remain underfunded, overstretched and constrained by jurisdictional complexity.

Survivors within the Navajo Nation face barriers that extend far beyond the violence itself:
• Geographic isolation that limits access to shelters, advocates, and emergency care
• Inconsistent availability of culturally grounded survivor services
• Jurisdictional delays that hinder timely accountability
• Insufficient long-term investment in prevention, protection and healing

These challenges do not reflect a lack of strength or resilience within Navajo families. They reflect systemic failures that have persisted for far too long, failures that leave survivors vulnerable and communities without the resources they deserve.

Domestic violence is not defined by gender. It affects women, men and children alike, and every survivor has the right to safety, dignity and justice. No individual should be forced to endure harm because support systems are fragmented or protections are unevenly enforced.

Although federal laws such as the Violence Against Women Act acknowledge the unique needs of tribal nations, many Navajo Nation programs continue to operate with unstable funding, staffing shortages and limited infrastructure. Recognition without sustained support is not protection. Promises without implementation place lives at risk.

We respectfully call on federal leaders to:
1. Commit to sustained, adequate funding for Navajo Nation domestic violence programs, including shelters, survivor advocacy, crisis response, prevention education and long-term support services for all survivors.
2. Fully uphold and strengthen tribal jurisdiction and enforcement authority, ensuring the Navajo Nation can respond to domestic and family violence without unnecessary delay.
3. Support Native led, culturally grounded programs that honor Navajo values, language and approaches to healing and restoration.
4. Improve coordination among tribal, state and federal agencies to eliminate jurisdictional barriers that place survivors and children at further risk.
5. Ensure transparency, accountability and equity in the distribution of resources intended to protect Indigenous families.

Domestic violence is not a private matter. It is a public responsibility and a measure of our collective integrity. Protecting Navajo Nation families requires more than awareness, it requires consistent funding, enforceable protections and respect for tribal sovereignty.

We stand with survivors.
We advocate for protection and accountability.
We call for action that reflects the value of every life.

Silence enables harm, actions save lives.