Media Contact:
Marissa Lewis, Marketing Coordinator
(918) 549-2856, mlewis@cmn.edu
Office on Violence Against Women Visits CMN
The Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) is a grantmaking and policy component of the U.S. Department of Justice that provides federal leadership in developing the national capacity to reduce violence against women and administer justice for and strengthen services to survivors of sexual assault, domestic and dating violence, and stalking. The OVW leadership team led by Deputy Director Linda Phan and Outreach Specialist Vanessa Esposita held the 18th Annual Government-to-Government Violence Against Women Tribal Consultation in Tulsa, OK on August 8-11, 2023. In addition to meetings with tribal leaders, OVW connected with local community partners. Vanessa Esposita stated “A key area of interest is in visiting or meeting with tribal colleges to learn more about the services and the community they serve.”
During the visit, CMN was able to share information on the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC), Tribal Colleges, CMN’s degree programs, and student services. Director Phan was particularly interested in how CMN is responding to the recent McGirt Decision and issues relating to jurisdiction involving Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW). To that end, CMN’s Criminal Justice Coordinator, Cheryl Najera is actively updating the program courses to address the need to educate tribal law enforcement, administrators, officials, and MCN on the complicated legal components of jurisdiction. A new program specialty is set to begin in the upcoming academic year to address the changing landscape of tribal, state, and federal relations. The CMN Criminal Justice program is also the first Tribal College to become a member of the American Criminal Justice Association: Nu Omega Lamda Omicron (NOLO).
The OVW Leaders were encouraged to see the work being done on the CMN campus to support students in the areas of Title IX and the formal partnerships with MCN Lighthorse Police and the Center for Victims Services. Deputy Director Phan was excited to the hear about the NOLO student led initiatives on campus to support and promote the MMIW movement. The Office on Violence Against Women staff shared ideas on continued improvement of policies and offered support in the form of technical assistance and information grant funding opportunities.
To learn more about the CMN Criminal Justice Program and the NOLO Student Organization contact: Cheryl Najera at 918-549-2815 or cnajera@cmn.edu
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The College of the Muscogee Nation is Oklahoma’s premier tribal college offering exemplary academic degree programs and student services preparing leaders in tribal and non-tribal sectors.