Oregon Tribes Receive $1.8 Million for Crime Victim Services
Four Oregon tribes secured combined federal funding from the U.S. Department of Justice to expand services for crime victims in tribal communities.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Sex Crimes
Four Oregon tribes secured a combined $1.8 million from the U.S. Department of Justice to develop and enhance services for crime victims in tribal communities. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced the funding on November 10, 2026.
Why it matters
The awards target gaps in victim services in rural tribal areas, where access to courts and social services can be limited. The funding supports counseling, crisis intervention, culturally specific healing, and Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons search efforts across Oregon.
The Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission received $494,092, the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde received $284,130 and $477,343, the Cow Creek Band received $264,918, and the Klamath Tribes received $284,130. Program timelines and service delivery results have not been reported.
The players
Jeff Merkley
Jeff Merkley is a United States Senator from Oregon who has served in the Senate since 2009 and has advocated for federal support of tribal and rural communities.
Ron Wyden
Ron Wyden is a United States Senator from Oregon who has served in the Senate since 1996 and is a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee.
U.S. Department of Justice
The U.S. Department of Justice is the federal agency responsible for enforcing federal law and administering grant programs for victim services nationwide.
The details
The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde will use its funding to expand its Domestic Violence Department, including one full-time peer support specialist providing peer support, case management, safety planning, court accompaniment, and victim support group facilitation. Awards also fund trauma-informed services, shelters or modular homes, and search efforts and family support for Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons.
Timeline
November 10, 2026: Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announce the funding for four Oregon tribes.
Legal Context
The awards draw on the federal Services for the Victims of Crime program and its Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside, which direct Department of Justice victim funding to tribal governments. The Oregon awards extend that federal framework into rural tribal communities that have historically faced gaps in access to courts and social services.
Residents of tribal communities in Oregon may gain access to counseling, crisis intervention, and safety planning services that were previously difficult to reach in rural areas. The Grand Ronde peer support specialist role will provide court accompaniment and case management for victims in that region.
The takeaway
Federal victim-services grants are reaching tribal communities directly, and rural residents may find expanded local support for domestic violence and crime victims as these programs take effect.
Further reading
For related coverage of victim protection cases, see Sex Crimes reporting.
