The grants to enhance culturally specific services for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking program is authorized by 34 U.S.C. 20124

The U.S. Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women awarded a $625,000 Project Grant under the Culturally and Linguistically Specific Services Program (CFDA 16.016) to the Minneapolis American Indian Center (MAIC), a nonprofit organization serving the urban American Indian community in Minneapolis. Through this 4-year grant, MAIC will implement a project to increase the capacity of the local community to provide culturally specific resources and support for Native victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Key activities will include providing cultural case management, monthly support groups, seasonal field trips to sacred sites, an annual healing retreat, and a public awareness campaign focused on violence towards Native women. This project aims to enhance traditional victim services through the leadership of a culturally specific program and develop innovative strategies to improve access to services for this population.

This program supports the maintenance and replication of existing successful community-based programs providing culturally specific services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, as well as the development of innovative culturally specific strategies to enhance access to services and resources for victims who face obstacles to using more traditional programs. Culturally specific services means community-based services that include culturally relevant and linguistically specific services and resources to culturally specific communities which are statutorily defined as american indians (including alaska natives, eskimos, and aleuts); asian americans; native hawaiians and other pacific islanders; blacks; and hispanics. Projects must address at least one of the programs statutory purpose areas. Through this new culturally specific services program project, the minneapolis american indian center will implement a project addressing the following purpose areas: increasing communities capacity to provide culturally specific resources and support for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking crimes and their families; enhancing traditional services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking through the leadership of culturally specific programs offering services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; working in cooperation with the community to develop education and prevention strategies highlighting culturally specific issues and resources regarding victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; and providing culturally specific resources and services that address the safety, economic, housing, and workplace needs of victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, including emergency assistance. The racial equity action project will serve american indian women within the urban american indian community of minneapolis/ST. Paul, minnesota. The project will address the following priority areas: priority area 1 - advancing racial equity and priority area 2: strengthening efforts to prevent and end sexual assault. Specific activities will include: cultural case management, monthly cultural support groups, seasonal field trips to sacred sites and ceremonies, and one annual healing retreat in northern minnesota each year. The project will also develop and implement a public awareness campaign around violence towards native women.