U.S. Senator Steve Daines spoke with Councilwoman Joan Johnson from Harlem, Montana, during a Senate Indian Affairs Committee hearing to discuss public safety resources for Montana tribes and the Tiwahe program.
During the hearing, Daines praised recent federal efforts aimed at improving safety in Native communities. He stated, “I’d like to again welcome Councilwoman Joan Johnson from Harlem, Montana. Thank you for appearing before the Committee. I certainly appreciate the opportunity to discuss public safety for our Native communities, particularly Native youth. I applaud the Trump Administration’s immediate actions to close the southern border and dispatch law enforcement personnel to Indian Country. The opening of the new FBI Field Office in Billings bodes well for future cooperation between state, tribal, and federal partners to address violent crime on our reservations. I’m really glad to have our new Attorney General Kurt Alme there in Billings, who I know is passionate about these issues. With more law enforcement resources certainly needed, there’s still more of course that still needs to be done to address public safety than arrests and drug interdictions.”
The discussion highlighted the Tiwahe Initiative, a pilot program providing funding for integrated services designed to benefit young people on reservations and help parents break cycles of generational trauma. Daines said, “Councilwoman Johnson, the Fort Belknap Indian Community were amongst the first tribes in the country to participate in the Tiwahe Initiative. Through this pilot program, the tribe received funding to strengthen and integrate services to better serve young people on the reservation, and as you mentioned also to help the parents and break some of the generational trauma that’s passed on. One of the strengths of this program is that it puts tribal leaders in the driver’s seat and relies on the principles of self-governance and self-determination. Councilwoman, what have been the biggest impacts that you’ve seen since implementing the Tiwahe framework?”
Johnson responded by saying, “I’d answer that in a spiritual way- helping them find their culture, their identity, and knowing who they are.”
Daines noted improvements since implementation: “You mentioned about the results, the efficacy of the program when we met this morning.In the first four years of the program, the Fort Belknap saw decreases in child abuse cases, family assault, and elder abuse cases. The juvenile recidivism rate decreased, I believe you told me from 80 percent to 35 percent, and the number of program participants increased. Has the Fort Belknap been able to sustain that success over the last four years?”
Johnson confirmed continued progress: “Yes we have.”
