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Supporting Our Circle: The National Tribal Clearinghouse on Sexual Assault (NTCSA) is a comprehensive resource hub that contains resources designed to improve responses to sexual assault.

The Clearinghouse is led by Minnesota Indian Women’s Sexual Assault Coalition (MIWSAC) and International Association of Forensic Nurses (IAFN). It is designed and informed by the community and those who work with American Indian and Alaska Native victims of sexual assault. It aims to increase access to resources for issues related to sexual assault in Tribal communities like culturally appropriate training and technical assistance, victim safety, and offender accountability.

Our Vision

To be a valuable online resource hub dedicated to reducing the impact of sexual assault through comprehensive education, unwavering support for survivors, and proactive advocacy, fostering a world where safety and respect are universal rights for American Indian and Alaska Native people.

Our Story

In 2012, Congress appropriated funds to address sexual assault within American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities by creating a culturally-specific national clearinghouse on sexual assault. The main goals were to improve victim services and ensure offender accountability. Supporting Our Circle: the National Tribal Clearinghouse on Sexual Assault (NTCSA) builds upon the previous work of the Southwest Center for Law and Policy and The International Association of Forensic Nurses (IAFN) who previously maintained clearinghouses supported by the Office of Violence Against Women. Most recently, IAFN maintained ISAAC, the Indigenous Sexual Assault & Abuse Clearinghouse which has been transitioned into Supporting Our Circle. Supporting Our Circle aims to reduce the impact of sexual violence by promoting empowerment and action and prioritizing cultural sensitivity and community resilience. Through accessible resources and a commitment to sovereignty, victim safety, and offender accountability, our vision is to create lasting change in Tribal communities.

Partners & Contributors

Popular Resources

FACTSHEET

A Walk in Our Moccasins: Footsteps of Truth
This timeline provides an overview of historical and contemporary factors contributing to prevalence of sexual violence within Tribal populations. It traces the impact of federal policies, legal decisions, jurisdictional gaps, and social movements that have shaped the challenges and responses within those communities. It seeks to promote greater understanding of the complex landscape surrounding sexual violence within Indian Country and to support ongoing efforts toward justice, accountability, and self-determination.
Role of a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE)
The Role of a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) provides a general overview of the critical role SANEs play in supporting survivors of sexual assault. The video includes information about the role and purpose of SANEs to an unfamiliar audience, including information about how SANEs conduct SANE exams to collect evidence, deliver emergency medical care, and support the emotional well-being of survivors. The video also outlines what to expect during an exam, the importance of informed consent, and how SANEs work alongside advocates to create a compassionate, survivor-centered environment.

VIDEO

NTCSA Vignette: SART Sexual Assault Response Teams
From the National Tribal Clearinghouse on Sexual Assault (NTCSA): The SART- Tribal Sexual Assault Response Team training video explores how Tribal communities can reclaim traditional practices of collective care to address sexual violence through the development of a Sexual Assault Response Team (SART). Rooted in Indigenous values of unity and healing, the video illustrates how a SART brings together a multidisciplinary team of medical professionals, advocates, law enforcement, court personnel, and sometimes survivors, to provide a coordinated response to sexual assault. Viewers will gain a clear understanding of the purpose and structure of a Tribal SART, how it differs from non-Tribal models, and why culturally grounded responses are essential for building trust and ensuring survivor-centered, trauma-informed care. The training addresses complex jurisdictional challenges, emphasizes the need for confidentiality and safety, and discusses how SARTs can break down common barriers faced by American Indian and Alaska Native survivors.

VIDEO

NTCSA Vignette: Respect is Tradition—A Guide to Consent
From the National Tribal Clearinghouse on Sexual Assault (NTCSA): Rooted in the strength of American Indian and Alaska Native traditions, Respect is Tradition: A Guide to Consent explores the vital role of consent in building safe, respectful relationships. The video outlines the specifics of defining consent and boundaries, and what consent is not. This vignette also emphasizes that consent is not a new concept and is deeply tied to the traditions of respect and community care that are similarly found in Tribal teachings.

VIDEO

NTCSA Vignette: Healing By Connecting to Culture
From the National Tribal Clearinghouse on Sexual Assault (NTCSA): Healing by Connecting to Culture is a training video that explores how culturally rooted practices can support the healing of trauma in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. Centered on the belief that culture is medicine, this video highlights best practices for incorporating traditional knowledge into advocacy and victim services, and emphasizes the importance of honoring each Tribe’s unique ways. Viewers will learn how traditional healing methods, like lit-medicines, traditional ceremonies, connecting to land, and art can be integrated with modern support services to create holistic, trauma-informed care.
Tribal Sexual Assault Legal Advocacy Support Toolkit
With this Toolkit, TLPI hopes that Tribal victim advocates will have access to information to assist them in supporting victim’s navigating legal systems and processes, with a special emphasis on the prosecution process and victim rights. The Toolkit is focused on information that is accessible, ready-to-use/reference, and educational. Recent TLPI work with this focus includes: Pocket Guide: Tribal Victim Advocacy in Criminal Cases (2022).