The Muckleshoots were among 11 Western Washington tribes awarded more than $8.9 million in federal grants to enhance public safety and help victims of crime in tribal communities, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes.

The grants are part of more than $130 million in funding announced by the U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday.

The Muckleshoot Indian Tribe was awarded $350,000 for innovative juvenile court programs.

“Our tribal partners work diligently to create safe and just communities, and these grants support that mission,” Hayes said. “Each of these tribes submitted detailed proposals on how the available federal resources would be used in their communities. I commend each of the grant recipients for identifying ways in which federal funding can improve life in Indian country and look forward to continuing to work in partnership with them to ensure justice is served.”

The Puyallup Tribe received the highest grant – $3.2 million for a variety of criminal justice initiatives, including programs to combat violence against women and alcohol and substance abuse; programs for tribal youth and children services; and programs to fund community policing and correctional alternatives.

In addition to the tribal grants, the Washington State Native American Coalition Against Domestic Violence was awarded $318,008 to reduce sexual assault on college campuses.

These grants are part of a nationwide program to support public safety in tribal communities. More than $101 million was awarded to 125 American Indian tribes, Alaska native villages, tribal consortia and tribal designees through the Department’s Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS), a streamlined application for tribal-specific grant programs. Of the $101 million, $47.6 million comes from the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), $34.1 million from the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), and $19.4 million from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).