July 2025: Human Trafficking’s Nexus and Impact on the Tribal Community (Part 1)

Native Americans have been historically and systemically isolated by geographic, legal and multi-jurisdictional complexities, heightening their vulnerability to human trafficking.  Native Americans face a confluence of victimization, oppression and poverty, making them particularly susceptible to this modern-day form of slavery.  Jurisdictional confusion and underfunded law enforcement, education and training have created the potential for a de facto haven for traffickers, allowing traffickers to operate with little concern of detection or prosecution.  For Tribal youth, who are disproportionately represented in care, these factors create conditions of vulnerability that traffickers exploit, often targeting youth who are disconnected from their families, communities and cultural identity.

This webinar will discuss current understanding of the trafficking/Indian country nexus; historical understanding of exploitation in Indian Country; Public Law 280 and its legal application; collaborative efforts in a multidisciplinary multijurisdictional Task Force Model; and prevention, protection and culturally responsive care for at risk Tribal youth. 

Presenter

Benjamin Thomas Greer, JD, MA, is a former special deputy attorney general for the California Attorney General’s Office. As a specializing deputy attorney general, he was the lead member of the Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Special Projects Team, he co-chaired the Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Work Group, and he was the primary author of the report released in 2012, “The State of Human Trafficking in California – OAG.” He is currently a senior instructor with the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services’ Specialized Training Institute and a founding member of the Human Trafficking Investigations and Training Institute.