Career
She advocates for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence in Native American communities. She has been credited for her "instrumental role" in the 2013 reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Acting, as well as for testimony which is credited with the 2010 passage of the Tribal Law and Order Acting. Deer coauthored, with Bonnie Claremont, Amnesty International"s 2007 report Maze of Injustice, documenting sexual assault against Native American women.
Deer received her Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctor from the University of Kansas.
She is a citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation.
