Share Widely! StrongHearts Native Helpline Helpline Launches Sexual Violence Advocacy 

Beginning Monday, August 3, at 8 a.m. CT, advocates at StrongHearts Native Helpline will provide sexual violence advocacy, a much-needed service for survivors in Tribal communities. “It’s an atrocity that Native Americans continue to experience the highest rates of sexual violence across the nation and until now, there hasn’t been a national culturally-appropriate service for them,” said Anna Nicolosi, StrongHearts Native Helpline’s Operations Manager. “Adding sexual violence advocacy to our services addresses a long-standing need in Indian Country.” StrongHearts Native Helpline advocates are trained to take a Native-centered, empowerment-based approach to every call or chat. Peer support, crisis intervention and referrals to service providers are available daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. CT at 1-877-762-8483 or at strongheartshelpline.org. Services are always free, anonymous and confidential. 

Get Support: Request NIWRC Technical Assistance 

The National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center provides culturally specific technical assistance, training, and policy development for Tribes, Tribal programs, and advocates to help establish and strengthen their responses to violence against Native women. This includes highly specialized and culturally specific training, advocacy, and programmatic and policy development in the areas of domestic violence, sexual violence, missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, stalking, and sex trafficking. Our primary goals are to support the sovereignty of Tribes and the development of Tribal programs and advocates as they build capacity in serving and advocating for American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian victim-survivors of violence in their communities. To request technical assistance for your program or community, send a request through our Contact Us page.

Virtual Panel Discussion: "Predatory Policing" on August 11

The phenomenon of sexual assaults committed by U.S. police remains an under-recognized aspect of police violence. People in the sex industries are especially vulnerable to sexual abuse by law enforcement. Join Repair and the UCLA American Indian Studies Center on Tuesday, August 11, 2020, at 12:30 p.m. MT, for "Predatory Policing", a virtual panel discussion about racism, sexism, youth exploitation and sexual violence committed by police officers against people in systems of prostitution. Featured panelists include Christine Stark, Melanie Thompson, Yasmin Vafa, and Lisa Brunner. Learn more and register for the event here.

Upcoming Training: "Domestic Violence in Indian Country: Investigation Basics and Prosecution Options"

It has been said that “domestic violence is homicide on the installment plan.” This webinar will focus on proven techniques to ensure a better investigation and the prosecution of misdemeanor and felony level domestic violence crimes in federal court. This U.S. Department of Justice sponsored webinar will be held on August 17, 2020, at 12 p.m. MT. The training content will be delivered online via Cisco WebEx (WebEx). Presenters for this webinar are Detective Mike Agnew, Fresno PD (ret.) and Leslie A. Hagen, National Indian Country Training Coordinator, U.S. Department of Justice. This training is for police, prosecutors and advocates responding to domestic violence in tribal communities. Learn more and register here.

Register for NIWRC Webinar, "Domestic Violence & Pets"

There is a clear and established link between animal cruelty and human violence. This NIWRC webinar, which will take place on Wednesday, August 19, 2020, at 12 p.m. MT, will focus on implications for pets in the context of domestic violence. This is important since studies have shown that 48% of domestic violence victims delay leaving or remain in abusive situations because of their pets. Yet fewer than 10% of domestic violence shelters house pets and almost half of all victim/survivors do not want to be separated from their pets. During this webinar we will discuss advocacy, safety planning, resources, model policies for co-sheltering and review legal protections for animals. Register for the webinar here. 

What We're Reading...

• Lack of awareness, data hinders cases of missing and murdered Native American women, study finds
• New Report: To' Kee Skuy' Soo Ney-Wo-Chek' Year 1 Progress Report: MMIWG2 of Northern California (Sovereign Bodies Institute)
• Mary Kathryn Nagle: With all due respect Mr. Attorney General, protecting sovereignty isn't a 'hobby'
• This college student from the Navajo Nation now wants to become chief of police for her reservation
• Chief David Hill: The Muscogee (Creek) nation's ancestors never gave up on our sovereign rights, and neither will I
• Three questions with scholar Sarah Deer on empowering Tribal Nations to protect Native American women
• She asked to be saved from him. Now she's dead.
• Inland Northwest lawmakers push for House vote on bills to protect Native women

Funding Opportunities and Information

• U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women: 
  • COVID-19/Violence Against Women Assistance To Tribes Solicitation (Due 9/16)
• Denali Commission of Alaska: 
  • Tribal Victim Services Micro-Grant Program (Due 9/15)