NAC Resources

Native American Circle, Ltd. (NAC) training materials have been developed for professionals working in criminal justice, law enforcement, advocacy, medical professions, and faith-based communities. Workshops center on American Indian/Alaska Native values, history and culture, emphasizing the impact of public policy on Native victims of domestic and sexual violence, and can be tailored to fit your program’s objectives.

NAC’s training materials and workshops are designed to foster admiration of indigenous cultures and pride in cultural connectedness, while fueling interest in recovering non-violent, traditional lifestyles in today’s indigenous rural and urban communities. We provide on-site, peer-to-peer consultation and telephone conference consultations to tribal communities desiring to design programs, protocol and policy specific to a particular community’s needs. We also work with Native American communities to help develop culturally appropriate responses to domestic and sexual violence from a grassroots level, both in urban and rural areas. If your organization is non-Native based, but provides services or anticipates providing services to American Indian/Alaska Native people, please contact us! We can offer workshops and training materials designed to equip your program staff with the skills necessary for providing culturally competent and sensitive services to Native survivors of domestic and sexual violence.

Native American Circle, Ltd’s handbook, first edition, is available here as a free download, either as an entire handbook or section by section.The handbook has been approved by the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, for distribution to OVW-funded grantees.

Download Your Free Copy of Native American Circle, Ltd’s 800 page Comprehensive Handbook:

Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking:

Prevention and Intervention Programs

in Native American Communities

Note: Downloading NAC’s Complete Handbook may require several minutes depending upon internet connection speed.

To view the handbook: The free Adobe Acrobat Reader must be installed on your computer first before viewing the handbook.

To install, simply click the Get Acrobat Reader icon for your free copy.

Custom build a handbook to fit you or your organizations needs. Native American Circle, Ltd.’s Comprehensive Handbook is available section-by-section. Simply click the icon to the right of each Section’s description below:

Section 1: The Dynamics of Domestic Violence
Contains general information about domestic violence, and statistics and information specific to domestic violence crimes in Native communities. Includes information about:

battering behaviors and research conducted on characteristics common to batterers;
the link between domestic violence and substance abuse;
historical perspectives and the dynamics of domestic violence in American Indian communities and rural areas;
reasons why Indian women stay in violent relationships and/or decline to report domestic and sexual violence;
Elder and Adult Maltreatment;
Tools for personal healing.

Much of the information is specific to Native survivors of domestic violence crimes, allowing a broad, yet detailed examination of how abusive behaviors and victim issues often thought to be common to all ethnicities will, in fact, uniquely impact Native victims.


Section 2: Stalking Includes statistics and information about stalking crimes, challenges to anti-stalking (federal and State) statutes, civil litigation remedies in stalking cases, cyberstalking, stalker “profiles” and tips for victims of stalking crimes. Discusses the need to develop anti-stalking sanctions and legal code specifically for use by Tribal Nation governments.

Section 3: Sexual Assault
Chapters in this section provide an historical view of rape and sexual assault crimes from both the perspective of Native and non-Native communities and cultures, allowing for comparisons of the two perspectives and a greater understanding of how sexual violence crimes impact Native victims. The text also provides information on a wide range of topics, including:
- the risk of rape/sexual assault on University campuses;
- the link between substance abuse and sexual assault;
- date rape drugs;
- the special issues of marital rape victims;
- the impact of sexual assault on special populations;
- sexual assault and the criminal justice system (both Native and non-Native systems);
- SANE programs and evidentiary exams;
- advantages and disadvantages of reporting sexual violence;
- tips for victims reporting sexual violence.

Section 4: Children’s Issues
Rather than an in-depth examination of children’s programs or training in the provision of services to children, this section of the handbook provides a general discussion of broader social issues involving children of survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking. Topics explore the intersections between family violence, substance abuse and homelessness, child custody issues, investigating and prosecuting child sex offense cases, the dilemma of battered mothers charged with the offense of “failure to protect”, child visitation centers, the need to link the safety of children to that of their mothers, and the special issues of American Indian/Alaska Native children who witness or suffer domestic and sexual violence.

Section 5: Federal, State and Tribal Laws
Samples of State and tribal laws or “code” and policies are featured. Federal statutes relating to domestic violence, stalking and sexual assault are reviewed. A Victim Protection Order sample is presented and discussed in the context of procedure, policy and effect. VAWA II legislation is showcased and explored in the context of how the new language in the Act will address inequities in public policy dating back to 1883 that have historically presented specific concerns for the safety of Native survivors of domestic and sexual violence.

Section 6: Judicial Response
Readers will find this section provides useful and informative details on both broad issues, such as the inadequacy of mutual protection orders, couples counseling and mediation, and on issues very specific to Indian Nation legal and criminal justice systems, such as the impact of Public Law 83-280, jurisdictional challenges in Indian country, and the unique obstacles to implementing the Full Faith and Credit Provision of VAWA I in Indian Country. This section of the handbook also includes a “Judicial Checklist”, sample Voir Dires for prosecutors of domestic violence and stalking cases, and a discussion on the various types of criminal justice systems currently operating in Indian country nationally, including the controversial Navajo Peacemaking system.

Section 7: Law Enforcement
The law enforcement officer working in Indian country will be gratified to see the special issues and circumstances he or she deals with daily are featured here in chapters that discuss the unique issues of Indian Nation Law Enforcement and Correction Systems, and Crime and Jails in Indian Country. Promising new approaches to old barriers that have historically limited the provision of services to Native victims of domestic and sexual violence are also presented, including discussions on cross-deputation and the need for tracking systems. This section includes copies of Bureau of Indian Affairs cross-deputation agreements, and it also includes more general information for law enforcement training purposes, such as chapters that provide pointers to the law enforcement officer who assesses the dangerousness of a batterer, procedures for collecting evidence, and how to conduct interviews at the scene of an incident.

Section 8: Advocacy
Although developed specifically for victim advocates, professionals from every field who provide services to survivors of domestic and sexual violence will likely find something in this section that relates specifically to their area of expertise, interest or experience. Topics include:
- Communication Strategies and Skills;
- Confidentiality and Ethics;
- Cultural Competency Issues;
- Evaluating Suicide Risks;
- Safety Plans and Shelter Intake Procedures;
- Safety for both Advocate and Victim;
- The Role of the Legal Liaison;
- Advocating for Women with Multiple Issues, such as substance abuse, homelessness, mental health, and intimate partner violence issues combined;
- Medical Practitioners Checklist;
- Advocating for Victims of Spiritual Abuse;
- Advocating for the Rape or Sexual Assault Victim;
- Tips for Sexual Assault Victims who Testify in Criminal Proceedings;
- Combating Workplace Violence.


Section 9: Re-Victimization This short section discusses the various forms of re-victimization, especially where American Indian/Alaska Native women are concerned.


Section 10: Treatment and Intervention The final section of the handbook covers a variety of topics, including batterer intervention models and programs, batterer recidivism, transitional housing, and combining shelter and substance abuse treatment programs, and batterer intervention programs with substance abuse treatment programs.

If your programs are funded by the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, you may be eligible to receive certain services from Native American Circle, Ltd. without charge. Even if your organization does not receive funding from the sources named, you may still be eligible for certain of our services free of charge. Please contact us at NAC@NativeAmericanCircle.org for more information on terms and conditions, and a free estimate of charges for services.

This project was supported by Grant No. 2001-WT-BX-K005 awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), U.S. Department of Justice, and by Grant No. H73-94-00084-01 awarded by Indian Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services. Points of view in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

NAC’s 2001 Targeted Technical Assistance Project is a collaborative effort between Native American Circle, Ltd. (NAC) and the Stalking Resource Center, a program of the National Center for Victims of Crime (NCVC).

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