NO MORE STOLEN SISTERS

 

https://www.nativewomenswilderness.org/mmiw?fbclid=IwAR0XHi6rUL9fWrdCQMEUcU_1A_ztUoBmbbH_g1KrjUn5xIFljQzDoX33jFE

The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women's Lives Matter. 

They Always Have.

STATISTICS

Indigenous Women (girls +) murdered 10x higher than all other ethnicities.

Murder is the 3rd leading cause of death for Indigenous Women (Centers for Disease Control).

More than 4 out of 5 Indigenous Women have experienced violence (84.3%) (National Institute of Justice Report).

More than half Indigenous Women experience sexual violence (56.1%).

More than half Indigenous Women have been physically abused by their intimate partners (55.5 percent).

Almost half of Indigenous Women have been stalked in their lifetime (48.8 percent).

POLICY INITIATIVES AND LANDMARKS

May 5, 2019 - The White House proclamation officially designated as the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Native Women and Girls.

2019 - Executive Order 13898, a/k/a Operation Lady Justice, creates a task force for missing and murdered AI/AN peoples that will address the concerns of Indigenous communities in the U.S., such as data collection, policies, establish cold-case teams, and improve investigative responses.

2020 - Savanna’s Act became law and requires the Department of Justice to review, revise and develop policies and protocols to address MMIP cases.

https://www.uihi.org/?fbclid=IwAR13sRkiGAO0IxZuUGj8uWLDZtjbb_pya4kXnLpPsnp0Ql5CcJFuLpphBp8

This report is the second of the Our Bodies, Our Stories series. Go to UIHI.org to read the first report regarding sexual violence against Native Women in Seattle, Washington. Urban Indian Health Institute is a division of the Seattle Indian Health Board.

The founders of Native Womens Wilderness and Indigenous Women Hike came together, and along with Native artists created this beautiful image to honor our woman and support the campaign. #MMIW is very close to our hearts, through personal experiences and love for our People. Red is the official color of the #MMIW campaign, but it goes deep and has significant value. In various tribes, red is known to be the only color spirits see. It is hoped that by wearing red, we can call back the missing spirits of our women and children so we can lay them to rest. Through our amazing artist @the_tactician and editor @warpartypictures, we chose a turquoise teardrop earring to represent our sorrow and tears. Turquoise is worn for protection by many tribes to ward off evil spirits, but it's also a symbol of strength and prosperity. May our women and children prosper and be kept safe.

All of the above is a reminder to someone who posted the following:

Here is my own text, and the response to it: 

I was sincerely hoping we could use a high profile story to draw attention to the many MANY that *haven't* been high profile, without coming across as being nasty and hate-filled toward the girl whose story can and should be a springboard from which to bring long-needed attention to stories that are just as heartbreaking. It seems my hopes have been ill-placed. 

I am dismayed by the callousness displayed, rather than the shared anguish and injustice that *could* have been a focal point for ALL who have gone missing, and *should* have been a sensitive and timely joint renewal of attempts to locate EVERYONE. But ... nope ... it seems the temptation to attack and divide instead of unite and defend the innocent is just too powerful to resist. 

I'm sick to my stomach over the losses, and now the loss of this opportunity to have made something good and positive happen out of something bad and negative gives me a soul-ache to go with the heart-ache.

Response: 

Both reactions are allowed and only to be expected. And I'd say necessary given the hope for difference has, up until now, produced nothing but silence.

IF the *responder* is referring to ME as being *silent*, that may be a matter of perspective. 

A person cannot see or hear what they choose to not look at or not listen to.

By the same token, IF the Voice of the *responder* is limited to the posting of mean memes, perhaps THAT is what has contributed more to the *NOTHING BUT SILENCE* than my quiet Voice over the years in the arena of Domestic Violence, the public education that has entailed, the development and providing of services for victims and survivors, the writing and passing of legislation to hold law enforcement and judges accountable, the court appearances and the confronting of judges in their own courtrooms, the personal victory of myself and the victories of many others along the path I chose to follow for so long.

Apparently the *responder* doesn't know that one of the most poignant experiences of my life was my daughter's response when some of her friends were upset that Law Enforcement showed up in answer to a call reporting an incident in progress *when nobody had even hit anybody yet!* - she rebutted that outrage by reminding them that Law Enforcement HAS to come in response to such a call because that's the LAW. When she told me the story, my face crumpled, tears coursed my cheeks (having the identical response now, ain't gonna lie), and I couldn't speak for several minutes. 

Because those very LAWS came into being during the time that daughter was yet in my womb; my participation in the process of making them happen had DIRECTLY to do with PROTECTING HER and others from what had happened to me and others before such LAWS existed. 

We had succeeded in what we set out to do - which was to give the generations to come what we had not had: the taking for granted that help would come when called for.

If, dear *responder*, IF that is SILENCE on my part, you have not been listening.

TRIGGER WARNING

TRIGGER WARNING

It was a long long time ago I wrote a story, one which is probably in one of my books somewhere, in reaction to getting the news in no gentle way that a friend from a support group for battered women had been murdered, along with her children, by her abuser. I cannot even begin to tell you how that shattered not only their lives but also the fragile new ones that we the other support group members had only just begun to build. The whole topic generally tends to remain tucked away for me, but recently a little bubble rose to the surface where it popped with a tiny plip sound. We can deal with that; it's the way it's supposed to be. I wrote a blog entry. News stories about a recent murder hits harder than I'd expected it to. Found myself not quite in a flashback as those have been history for quite a while. Nevertheless I was puzzled (shouldn't have been) when my throat and neck gradually tightened to the point I was having trouble breathing, something I'd not experienced before, at least not in several decades, and never without there being an obvious reason for it. When it dawned on me that I'd just been reading some young women's remarks about the recent tragedy I knew what was happening to me. It *was* a flashback of sorts after all. Making those muscles relax was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do, as hard this time as it had been the other times and most especially one in particular. My mind flies back and I don't even try to stop it, not this time. Against all motherly instincts I knew I had to get loose and climb those stairs, away away away from my daughters, because he would follow me and let them be. Away away away and the whole time my mind screaming no no no no no no your babies your babies your babies. Yet away I had to go. Up those stairs whether or not I could. He caught me at the phone on that floor. I scrambled up another set of stairs as I couldn't get past him to an exit. He caught me again, at the phone which rang right then. God bless our men in brown and our men in blue. God bless them each and all.

Violence Against Women Act

Good