Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks In Palm Springs

U.S. Attorney General Eric holder made a stop in Palm Springs Thursday, giving a voice to Native American victims of crime.

Holder delivered the keynote address at the 12th Annual National Indian Nations Conference at the Renaissance Palm Springs Hotel.

Holder arrived 15 minutes late for the speech but that didn’t seem to bother the more than 900 people who attended.

Holder said tribal justice and safety is a priority of the Obama Administration, and the attendees said they appreciated that.

“I faced them all. I could see fear in their eyes,” said Robin Charboneau, with the Spirit Lake Nation tribe.

Charboneau read a poem before Holder took the stage.

She was one of more than 300 attendees once the victim of crime and abuse.

“(My enemies) cannot control my life or my fears no longer,” she said. “Now, like you, they seem smaller — not like big men at all. Well, I’m walking away proud and tall.”

As he took the stand, Holder said that the night and conference was about honoring the voices of victims.

Some in the audience traveled from as far away as Alaska to hear him speak.

“In too many tribal communities, lives have been scarred by violence and by crime,” said Holder. “The status quo is alarming and it’s unacceptable.”

Holder said that, in some areas, crimes against Native Americans are at record highs.

He said, too often, they are the victims of hate and discrimination.

Holder said September marked a significant advance in nation to nation collaboration.

“The department began administering nearly $130 million in grants to support the public safety initiatives of federally recognized Indian tribes,” he said.

The establishment of a Tribal Office of Justice was another important step in protecting Native Americans, he said.

Holder’s 12 minute speech ended on an inspiring note, said members of the audience.

“If we work together, we cannot fail,” he said. “We owe this to those who have come before us and to those who, one day, will walk the paths that we now tread. Thank you very much.”

Holder’s speech never got political. He focused solely on issues affecting the tribal community.