Creating a Circle of Safety In recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, NIWRC will highlight the work of the Ogitchidakwe Council in St. Paul MN in creating a Circle of Safety for victim/survivors of rape and sexual violence. Although there has been a huge public outcry and federal policy reform in response to the high rates of rape and sexual violence against Indigenous women, far too many victim/survivors are still not believed and perpetrators are not being held accountable. This webinar focuses on the work of a group of Indigenous elders, in one community, that created a safe place to talk about sexual violence while continuously providing community awareness, education and prevention activities and offering traditional healing and cultural sharing opportunities. Engaging the entire community is central to their work in addressing sexual violence. Please join the founders and organizers of the Ogitchidakwe Council on this important webinar to see what one community is doing and what your community can do to end the rape and sexual violence of our relatives.

Our Bodies, Our Stories is a series of reports that details the scope of violence against Native women and people across the nation. The report that started this project highlighted data relating to sexual violence against Native women in an urban setting—Seattle, Washington. Since the commencement of Our Bodies, Our Stories, we have introduced multiple reports on violence against our communities and ways that violence can be addressed including calls to decision makers to take action.

This handbook provides information regarding options, tribal laws, and resources available to Native peoples hurting each other through domestic violence, violence against women, family violence, or spouse abuse laws. Topics include: history of violence against Native women; issues of power and control, physical abuse, sexual abuse, intimidation, isolation, emotional abuse, using the children, coercion and threats, using male privilege, lying and blaming, economic abuse, cultural abuse, and ritual abuse; victim-blaming; violence against women and alcohol; effects of domestic violence on children; early warning signs of domestic violence; how society gives men permission to batter; helping friends or family members who are being battered; shelter and advocacy program response; legal options and Federal domestic violence offenses; what a woman can do if she decides to stay or can't escape the violence; and knowing your rights.

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women: Action Plan for Alaska Native Communities

When an Indigenous woman goes missing or is found dead under suspicious circumstances, communities experience grief, anger, and confusion. With limited resources and answers, families are left searching for support. The issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women (MMIW) has gained national attention, prompting efforts at the federal and state levels to improve awareness, gather data, and provide support for affected communities.

This Toolkit is designed to help Alaska Native communities create action plans that include awareness, prevention, and intervention strategies. It offers guidance for organizing community responses when a loved one goes missing or is murdered, with ongoing updates to incorporate new resources and strategies. The Alaska Native Women’s Resource Center (AKNWRC) holds monthly calls to share information, discuss policy developments, and support communities in responding to the MMIW crisis. To stay informed, email info@aknwrc.org to join the call list.

A curriculum on the history of Native American history, boarding schools, ethnic and cultural genocide, healing and reconciliation, and how to make a difference. This comprehensive educational tool is designed for educators and is a great resource towards understanding how history and intergenerational trauma continues to affect Native American communities today. The curriculum has information on the U.S Indian boarding school policy as a whole, as well as specific information about Mt. Pleasant Indian Industrial Boarding School, which operated in Mt. Pleasant, MI near the Saginaw Chippewa reservation from 1893-1934.

Nationwide, the voices of Indigenous people have united to raise awareness of missing and murdered Indigenous woman and girls (MMIWG). Though awareness of the crisis is growing, data on the realities of this violence is scarce. To fill this gap, in 2017, Urban Indian Health Institute (UIHI), a tribal epidemiology center, began a study aimed at assessing the number and dynamics of cases of missing and murdered American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls in cities across the United States. This study sought to assess why obtaining data on this violence is so difficult, how law enforcement agencies are tracking and responding to these cases, and how media is reporting on them.