October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month

In honor of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month I am posting information on the National Domestic Violence Awareness Project.

There are awareness events happening around the country this month. Click HERE for information on events in your area.

Here is some information about the project from its website:

In 1995, the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRCDV) convened several national domestic violence organizations - the Family Violence Prevention Fund, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the National Domestic Violence Hotline and later the National Network to End Domestic Violence - to launch a new effort to support domestic violence programs' awareness and education efforts for Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM), observed annually in October. The collaborative effort became the Domestic Violence Awareness Project (DVAP).

Today, the DVAP is a diverse and unique partnership of local, tribal, state and national domestic violence organizations and networks. The DVAP collaborates to collect, develop and distribute resources and ideas relevant to advocates' ongoing public and prevention awareness and education efforts not only in preparation for DVAM, but also throughout the year.

There aren't any activities scheduled through this group in North or South Dakota.

If you'd like to do an event, I would suggest a Clothesline Project. It requires a little planning, but it is very effective. You can download a flyer HERE for information on what it is and how to begin.

What is the Clothesline Project?
(all descriptions from the website in the link)

The Clothesline Project is a visual display that bears witness to the violence against women and children. The Clothesline Project comprises T-shirts designed by survivors of abuse and those who have lost loved ones to it. The shirts are hung on a clothesline display to:
Honor survivors and memorialize victims
Help with the healing process for survivors and people who have lost a loved one to violence
Educate, document, and raise society's awareness of about the crimes of violence against women and children

History of the Clothesline Project:

The History of the Project
The Clothesline Project originated with 31 shirts in Hyannis, MA, in 1990 through the Cape Cod Women's Agenda. A small group of women - many of whom had experienced violence in their own lives - designed the visual monument to help transform staggering statistics about violence against women and children into a powerful educational and healing tool.

They decided to use a clothesline after discussing how many women in close-knit neighborhoods have traditionally exchanged information over backyard fences while hanging laundry out to dry.

The Clothesline Project breaks the silence about violence against women and children by giving a voice to survivors and victims. Since 1990, hundreds of Clotheline Projects have emerged nationwide and abroad, resulting in tens of thousands of shirt designs.

To find out more information, contact:

The Clothesline Project
P.O. Box 654
Brewster, MA 02631
Email clotheslineproject@verizon.net

What the colors represent:

What the Shirts Represent
Shirts that hang on The Clothesline represent a wide spectrum of abuse. Although each shirt is unique, a common color coding is generally used to represent the different dimensions of violence against women and children:

WHITE for women and children who have died as a result of domestic violence
YELLOW or BEIGE for women and children who have been battered or assaulted
RED, PINK or ORANGE for women and children who have been raped or sexually assaulted
BLUE or GREEN for women and children survivors of incest
PURPLE or LAVENDER for women and children attacked because of their sexual orientation/identification

Lecture at UND Oct 21 on Cultural Leadership

VERMILLION — Four distinguished Native American women will present the 16th annual Joseph Harper Cash Memorial Lecture at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 21, in Farber Hall at The University of South Dakota.

Presented by the USD Institute of American Indian Studies, the 2010 Cash Memorial Lecture will address informal Native leadership relating to culture, language and community issues with participants Mary Louise Defender Wilson, Dakotah/Hidatsa; Grace Her Many Horses, Sicangu Lakota; Tunte Eaton, Rosebud/Tewa; and Frankee White Dress.

Defender Wilson, NEA National Heritage Fellow and a recipient of a 2009 Bush Enduring Vision Award, is a renowned storyteller and educator from Standing Rock while Her Many Horses is chief of police of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe and an avid powwow dancer. Eaton is a law student at the University of New Mexico who seeks to serve her people by running for public office in the state, and White Dress, a foster parent extraordinaire, is an educator on the Pine Ridge Reservation.

The Cash Memorial Lecture was inaugurated in 1995 to promote education and awareness of American Indian culture, issues and problems. Supported by an endowment established by Cash’s family and friends, the lecture annually features scholars in the fields of Indian studies, frontier, Western and mining history - the four major areas of Cash’s interests. Cash, from Bonesteel, was dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at USD for a decade. In his lifetime, he forged lifelong friendships with Indian and non-Indian people, and admonished his students to remember history from small places. His memorial lecture series is built on that thesis.

For more information regarding the 16th annual Joseph Harper Cash Memorial Lecture, contact the Institute of American Indian Studies at The U, (605) 677-5208 or e-mail iais@usd.edu.

Joel Burns tells gay teens ' it gets better'

This isn't just about being a gay teenager, it's about bullying and teen suicide. A must see.

Warrior Women: The story of Red Power

This is part of an article from Indian Country Today about a great documentary that a professor from University of South Dakota is working on.

VERMILLION, S.D. – During the height of political unrest in Indian country during the 1960s and ’70s, men such as Russell Means, Dennis Banks and Clyde and Vernon Bellecourt were the media-recognized leaders of Red Power, the grass roots movement marked by its activism and a resurgence of Indian cultural identity, pride and traditionalism.

...snip...

But away from much of the media attention stood such women as Madonna Thunder Hawk, Lorelei DeCora, Janet McCloud, Pat Bellanger, Lakota Harden, and LaNada Means War Jack. These were just a few of the Indian women in the trenches of the Red Power movement.

Now, the untold stories of Native women activists will be documented in an upcoming film, “Warrior Women,” a one-hour documentary to be aired on PBS. University of South Dakota Assistant Professor Elizabeth Castle, the film’s writer and producer, eyes a 2012 completion date for the film, which is in pre-production. The project is the recent recipient of a grant from Native American Public Telecommunications.

...snip...
In the aftermath of AIM’s occupation of Wounded Knee in 1973, women carried on their activism. “This is such an unknown area of history,” Castle said.

Many Indian women were at the forefront of looking at the connection between health and environment, said Castle, noting their involvement in the Black Hills Alliance, the formation of Women of All Red Nations, the fight against forced sterilization and the establishment of survival schools.

“It was a movement of family and community, and at the heart of family and community are women,” Castle said. “Women are the story of Red Power.”

I encourage you to click on the link and read the whole story on ICT.

Presidential Proclamation on National Domestic Violence Awareness Month (Oct)

White House Press Release:

For Immediate Release

October 01, 2010

Presidential Proclamation--National Domestic Violence Awareness Month

NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH, 2010

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

In the 16 years since the passage of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), we have broken the silence surrounding domestic violence to reach thousands of survivors, prevent countless incidences of abuse, and save untold numbers of lives.  While these are critical achievements, domestic violence remains a devastating public health crisis when one in four women will be physically or sexually assaulted by a partner at some point in her lifetime.  During Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we recognize the tremendous progress made in reducing domestic violence, and we recommit to making everyone's home a safe place for them.

My Administration is committed to reducing the prevalence of domestic violence.  Last year, I appointed the first-ever White House Advisor on Violence Against Women to collaborate with the many Federal agencies working together to end domestic violence in this country.  Together with community efforts, these Federal programs are making important strides towards eliminating abuse.

The landmark Affordable Care Act also serves as a lifeline for domestic violence victims.  Before I signed this legislation in March, insurance companies in eight States and the District of Columbia were able to classify domestic violence as a pre existing condition, leaving victims at risk of not receiving vital treatment when they are most vulnerable.  Now, victims need not fear the additional burden of increased medical bills as they attempt to protect themselves and rebuild their lives.

Individuals of every race, gender, and background face domestic violence, but some communities are disproportionately affected.  In order to combat the prevalence of domestic violence and sexual assault in tribal areas, I signed the Tribal Law and Order Act to strengthen tribal law enforcement and its ability to prosecute and fight crime more effectively.  This important legislation will also help survivors of domestic violence get the medical attention, services, support, and justice they need.

Children exposed to domestic violence, whether victims or witnesses, also need our help.  Without intervention, they are at higher risk for failure in school, emotional disorders, substance abuse, and perpetrating violent behavior later in life.  That is why my Administration has launched the "Defending Childhood" initiative at the Department of Justice to revitalize prevention, intervention, and response systems for children exposed to violence.  The Department of Health and Human Services is also expanding services and enhancing community responses for children exposed to violence.

Ending domestic violence requires a collaborative effort involving every part of our society.  Our law enforcement and justice system must work to hold offenders accountable and to protect victims and their children.  Business, faith, and community leaders, as well as educators, health care providers, and human service professionals, also have a role to play in communicating that domestic violence is always unacceptable.  As a Nation, we must endeavor to protect survivors, bring offenders to justice, and change attitudes that support such violence.  I encourage victims, their loved ones, and concerned citizens to call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1 800-799-SAFE or visit:  www.TheHotline.org.

This month -- and throughout the year -- let each of us resolve to be vigilant in recognizing and combating domestic violence in our communities, and let us build a culture of safety and support for all those affected.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 2010 as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.  I call on all Americans to speak out against domestic violence and support local efforts to assist victims of these crimes in finding the help and healing they need.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth.

BARACK OBAMA

Conference - Protecting Native Children Who Disclose Sexual Abuse During Custody Disputes

From the Minnesota Indian Women's Sexual Assault Coalition:

Save the Date: November 8-9,2010

National Conference:

HONORING OUR SACRED TRUST: Protecting Native Children Who Disclose Sexual Abuse During Custody Disputes

Mystic Lake Event Center

Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Reservation - Shakopee, MN

Click here to register!

Click here to apply for a scholarship to attend. (Deadline for scholarship applications is Oct 15)

National Conference Goals:

•  Identify appropriate and effective cultural/tribal responses for children, battered women, who disclose sexual abuse during custody disputes
•  Identify intersection between child sexual abuse and domestic violence (ICWA and non-ICWA cases)

This National Conference will be useful for:

Judges

Attorneys

Advocates

Guardian Ad Litem

Civil Legal Assistants

Court Appointed Special Advocates

Child Protection Workers

Sponsored by: Minnesota Indian Women’s Sexual Assault Coalition, the Tribal Law

& Policy Institute, and Mending the Sacred Hoop

CEU's will be offered for attendance

For further information please contact:

Minnesota Indian Woman’s Sexual Assault Coalition

1619 DAYTON AVE, SUITE 303, SAINT PAUL, MN 55104

Phone: 651-646-4800 Fax: 651-646-4798

Toll Free: 877-995-4800

www.miwsac.org

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Coalition Information19 Dayton Ave. Suite 303 St. Paul, MN. 55104
Phone: 651-646-4800
Fax: 651-646-4798
Toll Free: 1-877-995-4800

The Minnesota Indian Women's Sexual Assault Coalition (MIWSAC) is a statewide tribal coalition with individual and program membership from across the state. MIWSAC was founded in October of 2001 through funding from the US Departmentof Justice, Violence Against Women Office. MIWSAC incorporated as a 501 (c)(3) non profit organization in 2004. As one of 22 Tribal Coalitions around the country formed to address sexual assault and domestic violence in American Indian Communities, we focus specifically on ending and preventing sexual violence.

Our statewide membership is comprised of American Indian and Alaska Native women and allies who bring with them extensive cultural knowledge and long histories of working in sexual assault and/or domestic violence programs. They are the heart of our Coalition and provides direction in our strategic planning, goal setting, and all other major programmatic decision making. This collective decision making reflects our tribal values and strengthens the vision of the work we do on behalf of all survivors. MIWSAC strives to reclaim the traditional values that honor the sovereignty of our women and children by incorporating culture and spirituality into every aspect of program operations.

Hogan v Kaltag Tribal Council Decision

This is press release from the Native American Rights Fund

Hogan v. Kaltag Tribal Council Decision
October 4, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Natalie Landreth, Staff Attorney and Counsel for Kaltag, (907)276-0680.

This morning the United States Supreme Court declined to hear the State’s appeal in the case of Hogan v. Kaltag Tribal Council, thus effectively ending the case and clearly reinforcing the rule that tribal courts have authority to initiate and fully adjudicate children’s cases.

The Kaltag Tribal Council had taken emergency custody of one of its member children due to allegations of abuse and neglect and, after conducting hearings and finding a suitable home, it terminated the rights of the birth parents and issued an order of adoption to the adoptive parents in Huslia. Kaltag then notified the State of Alaska Bureau of Vital Statistics about the adoption and requested a new birth certificate reflecting the names of the adoptive parents and the new last name of the child. The State refused, claiming that it did not owe full faith and credit to the decision of the Kaltag Tribal Court because Kaltag did not have jurisdiction to initiate the case at all.

In the fall of 2006, NARF filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Kaltag Tribal Council and the adoptive parents to enforce the full faith and credit provision of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). In February 2008, the United States District Court rejected the State’s claims and held that Tribes have jurisdiction to adjudicate adoptions and child-in-need-of-aid (CINA) type cases over their member children, and that the Tribal Court’s decisions are entitled to full faith and credit by the State. In a detailed and thoughtful opinion, the Court reaffirmed what the United States Supreme Court stated in the Holyfield case that the ICWA created “concurrent but presumptively tribal jurisdiction in the case of children not living on a reservation.” The Court also noted that denying tribal jurisdiction in CINA-type cases would leave Tribes “powerless to help children in their own villages at the most critical time.” The Court’s decision was then summarily affirmed by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

This case reaffirms the rule that when Tribes adjudicate domestic matters of their own member children, whether it is a simple voluntary adoption or a CINA-type case, their decisions are entitled to full faith and credit.

Counsel for Kaltag, Natalie Landreth, said “The fact is that the Kaltag Tribal Court was doing what it, and the 561 other tribes in this country, has been doing since time immemorial: taking care of their own children. This case never should have been appealed to the United States Supreme Court, and the Plaintiffs are very glad that their victory stands.” Moreover, the Native American Rights Fund and plaintiffs Kaltag Tribal Council and Hudson and Selina Sam call upon Governor Parnell and Attorney General Sullivan to rescind the Renkes Opinion issued in October 2004 and instead take this opportunity to work with tribes and tribal courts to ensure the protection of all children, no matter which court their case is in.