December 2022
WORKSHOP: Training Foundation and Key Principles: Strengthening the Role of Advocacy in Indian Country Workshop
The key principles of advocacy come from Indigenous cultural beliefs and values, encompassing concepts of resilience, trauma-informed approaches, and sovereignty. There will be interactive activities and discussion of advocacy skills, confidentiality, elements of shelter, and safe spaces.
This workshop will take place in Albuquerque, New Mexico from January 24 - January 26, 2023. Please note that you may register to attend this 3-day workshop in-person, virtually, or as a combination of the two (hybrid). The workshop agenda and hotel information are now available. Sign up here.
117th Congress Legislative Update: December 2022
Our Legislative Update for December 2022 is now available! December summaries include Honoring Promises to Native Nations Act, Bridging Agency Data Gaps and Ensuring Safety (BADGES) for Native Communities Act, and Family Violence Prevention and Services Improvement Act of 2021 (FVPSA). Read it here.
Women Are Sacred Conference: Call for Artists
We invite artists of all backgrounds to submit their work to be featured as the central image of the 2023 Women Are Sacred Conference, creatively depicting the conference theme: We Are Born from Her: Protecting Earth Mother, Her Women, and Her Children. The deadline is this coming Monday, December 12, 2022 (TODAY) by EOD. Submit your artwork here.
Women Are Sacred Conference: Call for Workshop Proposals
We are seeking workshop proposals for the Women Are Sacred Conference! This is an opportunity to take action, bring to life our shared vision for the future to end the violence, and recreate peaceful, respectful relationships. Proposals should address topic areas in any of the three categories: practice, policy, and research. The deadline for proposals is January 6, 2023. For a complete list of topics, please visit the Google Form.
WEBINAR: Addressing Indigenous Homelessness
This webinar on Indigenous homelessness is the first in a series of webinars by STTARS, the Indigenous Safe Housing Center, that focuses on housing insecurity and homelessness and the intersection of domestic violence, sexual violence, dating violence, stalking, trafficking, and MMIW across our Tribal nations, Indian communities, Alaskan and Native Hawaiian villages. The Winter Solstice, the longest night and the first day of Winter, was selected for this webinar to bring awareness and understanding to this critical issue and to honor all our unsheltered relatives who have lost their lives on the streets. Join us on December 21, 2022 (1:00pm - 2:30pm MDT) by registering now.
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Q&A and Discussion With FVPSA and NIWRC
FVPSA Office hours have a new look! We are taking a new approach to discussing ideas for utilizing the ARP grants. A panel of Native advocates will share how they’ve used ARP funds and how they navigated improving or developing Tribal infrastructure. The panel includes experiences from an urban-based Native organization, a reservation-based Tribal organization, and lastly Tribal government executive leadership. If you have questions we invite you to join us for coffee and conversation in this virtual space. Join us on January 13, at 10 a.m. MDT. If you have any questions or need any assistance at any time, please contact Brenda Hill, NIWRC Director of Technical Assistance and Training, at bhill@niwrc.org. Join via Zoom.
We Are Hiring!
The NIWRC provides national leadership to end violence against American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women by lifting the collective voices of grassroots advocates and offering culturally grounded resources, technical assistance and training, and policy development to strengthen Tribal sovereignty.
For more information, please visit our Careers page.
UPDATE: Letter from Marquel Musgrave, COVID TA Specialist
Greetings Relatives,
This month, not only are we seeing an increase in SARS-Cov-2 (COVID-19) nationwide, but we are experiencing a surge in RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) hospitalizations and flu cases. While national RSV rates are “on par” with 2021’s reported numbers, with the exception of incidences occurring earlier in the year, pediatric hospitalizations have increased an alarming amount. The Children’s Hospital Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics wrote a letter asking the federal government to declare an emergency to provide hospitals with added flexibility to meet the surge on November 14th. The best way to protect yourself and your community are by:
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Wearing a high quality, well fit mask like a N95, KN95 or KF94 (fits best for little faces);
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Stay home when sick;
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Stay up to date with vaccinations;
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Wash hands and clean surfaces as RSV lives on surfaces longer than flu and COVID-19;
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Test before gathering;
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Clean the indoor air; run a HEPA air purifier or a DIY Corsi Rosenthal Air Purifier in shared spaces;
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Support your immune system by eating traditional foods and herbs rich in vitamins and nutrients and talk to your healthcare about supplementing with Zinc, Vitamin C, Vitamins D3, K2, and Magnesium; and
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Water is our first medicine, stay hydrated, ground yourself using traditional medicines, and pray for our collective health and the protection of our little ones who are heavily impacted at this time.
We now know SARS-Cov-2 reinfections increase the risk of organ failure death in this study of 5.8 million people—highlighted by the Washington University School of Medicine and funded by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the American Society of Nephrology and KidneyCure. A new HHS report released this month recommends masking policies to reduce infections, reinfections, and Long COVID-19. More coverage as we learn more about the impact of SARS-Cov-2 on our collective health:
The new COVID-19 Resource Page is now live on our NIWRC Website. You can now access our COVID-19 Layered Mitigations: Workplace Community Care, which includes expandable menus for “Layered Mitigation for In-Person Meetings & Travel Guidance”, “In-Office Community Care Best Practices”, and “Internal Staff Correspondence”
A downloadable version is available here: COVID-19 Layered Mitigation: Workplace Community Care .PDF
You can still access the webinar and resources, Long COVID-19: A Community Conversation on Disability, Equity, and Its Impact on Advocates and Survivors in Native Communities to learn more and support those within your Tribal community and workplace living with Long COVID-19.
CONGRATULATIONS to our COVID-19 TA Specialist, Marquel Musgrave for accepting the Advisory Board position for the development of the New Mexico COVID-19 Memorial Project!
People’s CDC Weekly Weather Report for the week of November 28th. In preparation for this holiday season, download the “Safer In-Person Gatherings Toolkit”.
Helpful Tips:
DON’T FORGET—Airborne virus transmission prevention and why wearing a mask is still important:
Resource for Community Education:
Ay’ingidi (stay safe by being aware),
Marquel Musgrave, COVID-19 TA Specialist, NIWRC
Tribal Shelters and Programs, Get Your Bathing Bundles
NIWRC is offering shipments of essential oil body and face soaps to Tribal programs and shelters serving relatives in need. These soaps feature handmade, vegan, natural moisturizing soaps without chemical preservatives, scented with essential oils to evoke calming effects and promote traditional healing. Providing natural, environmentally friendly, and traditional medicine in these items can improve the situation for relatives who are transitioning out of trauma. Request a shipment here. Please share with your networks!
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In the News
Funding Opportunities
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U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women
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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children & Families
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The Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, Office on Violence Against Women, and Office of Community-Oriented Policing Services
Policy Updates
Upcoming Events
