[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 18855]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING MS. SARAH DEER

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. KEITH ELLISON

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, December 11, 2014

  Mr. ELLISON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Sarah Deer to 
congratulate her on receiving the 2014 MacArthur Foundation Fellowship. 
This grant is given to individuals who show extraordinary dedication 
and originality in their field, as well as exceptional promise for 
continuing their work in the future. Ms. Deer demonstrated these 
qualities through her advocacy and knowledge of tribal and federal law 
to develop policies and legislation that empower tribal nations to 
protect Native American women from sexual and domestic violence.
  Ms. Deer is a nationally recognized activist and expert in the 
movement to end violence against Native American women, a professor of 
law, and co-director of the Indian Law Clinic at William Mitchell 
College of Law. As a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, she works 
with grassroots and national organizations to protect Native American 
victims of violence.
  Receiving the MacArthur Foundation Fellowship is a testament to Ms. 
Deer's outstanding work. This includes membership on the American Bar 
Association (ABA) Commission on Domestic Violence and the board of the 
National Alliance to End Sexual Violence. In 2007, Ms. Deer led Amnesty 
International's report, Maze of Injustice, which cast domestic violence 
as an international human rights problem. Her efforts were instrumental 
in passing the 2013 Violence Against Women Act, giving tribal courts 
the power to prosecute non-Native Americans who assault Native American 
spouses or dating partners, or violate a protection order on tribal 
lands.
  Ms. Deer has exhibited exceptional devotion to a worthy cause and 
continues to improve countless lives. I appreciate all that she has 
done to serve our nation, and I thank her for her exemplary work. She 
deserves this honor.

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