Okay people... here it is - we have a big goal: we need $35,000 total raised by December 1st. We already have raised $25,814.16. So, between now and midnight Friday we need an additional $9,200.
We can do this. Donate Here.
The Story of Pretty Bird Woman House
Jackie Brown Otter created The Pretty Bird Woman House after the brutal rape and murder of her sister, whose Lakota name means Pretty Bird Woman.
PBWH provides emergency shelter, advocacy support, and educational programs for women on the Standing Rock reservation who have been victims of domestic violence or sexual assault. Its services are badly needed; according to the Amnesty International report Maze of Injustice - The failure to protect Indigenous women from sexual violence in the USA:
High levels of sexual violence on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation take place in a context of high rates of poverty and crime. South Dakota has the highest poverty rate for Native American women in the USA with 45.3 per cent living in poverty. The unemployment rate on the Reservation is 71 per cent. Crime rates on the Reservation often exceed those of its surrounding areas. According to FBI figures, in 2005 South Dakota had the fourth highest rate of "forcible rapes" of women of any US state.
Making things worse, Standing Rock Reservation has a tiny police force to patrol all 2.3 million acres. At the time of the murder of Pretty Bird Woman, Standing Rock had only one police officer on duty during the night shift. As a result, it took over a day for anyone to even come out to start to investigate the disappearance.
Further compounding the problem, Amnesty reports on the legal nightmare facing the victims, their advocates and the police:
Tribal and federal authorities have concurrent jurisdiction on all Standing Rock Sioux Reservation lands over crimes where the suspected perpetrator is American Indian. In instances in which the suspected perpetrator is non-Indian, federal officials have exclusive jurisdiction. Neither North nor South Dakota state police have jurisdiction over sexual violence against Native American women on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. State police do, however, have jurisdiction over crimes of sexual violence committed on tribal land in instances where the victim and the perpetrator are both non-Indian.
The result:
"When an emergency call comes in, the sheriff will say ‘but this is Indian land.’ Tribal police will show up and say the reverse. Then, they just bicker and don’t do the job. Many times, this is what occurs. And it doesn’t always get resolved, which means no rape [sexual assault evidence] kit, etc."
Juskwa Burnett, support worker for Native American survivors of sexual violence, May 2005
Recently, the Pretty Bird Woman House was forced to move out of its original location after a number of break-ins through the exterior walls left it in such bad condition that the women could not safely remain there. The day after they left the empty shelter was the victim of an arson attack.
For a full and comprehensive history please visit This diary which has much more detail.
Services Offered by Pretty Bird Woman House
What can Pretty Bird Woman House do against all of this injustice? Small miracles, one day at a time. In the first ten months of 2007 Pretty Bird Woman House accomplished the following:
This, despite losing major funding and loss of the house.
How You Can Help
1. DONATE
Help us raise $9,200 by Friday Midnight!
Pretty Bird Woman House has two potential replacement houses in mind. Both offer significantly more space than the previous building. Georgia described how they both had full basements, storage room and would house more than double the families and women than their previous building. Both buildings have yards which means possible playgrounds for children.
One house has a major advantage in location - a police station across the street.
Because of difficulties obtaining loans (banks are allergic to both Native Americans and poverty) the best solution lies in purchasing the house outright. Depressed property values on Standing Rock mean that $60,000 gets the house. An additional $10,000 is required to make them secure, with proper fencing, video cameras, reinforced doors and other measures. Neither house is in great shape, but both offer shelter and that remains the bottom line for the survival of Pretty Bird Woman House.
This is urgent for many reasons:
Once Pretty Bird Woman House has a permanent home, the future looks much brighter. Again, they will meet the criteria for grants. The permanency of a home opens many doors for them and makes a huge impact on the future of the shelter. Beyond this, a permanent women's shelter on Standing Rock creates an infrastructure to begin to tackle the nightmares detailed above. That infrastructure will function to erode the resistance to change. In a very real sense a women's shelter is the foundation upon which progress can take place.
In short, if we meet this goal, Pretty Bird Woman House should not need constant fundraisers by the progressive blogosphere.
Please: DONATE NOW. Pretty Bird Woman House is a 501 (c) 3 charitable organization.
2. OTHER WAYS TO HELP BESIDES DONATIONS
BLOG IT. Spread the word. The miracle and the genius of the netroots is that nobody should have to give beyond their means. Do what you can and then pass the word along... that will make a huge difference!!And feel free to steal any material you think would help from my diaries!
Winter Rabbit has a great idea... lets get Keith Olbermann to cover this!
Material donations:
If you have clothing, toiletries or other goods (or checks if you don't donate online) donations you can send them via USPS to:
Pretty Bird Woman House
P.O. Box 596
McLaughlin, SD 57642
If you use FedEx, UPS or DHL ship to:
Pretty Bird Woman House
302 Sale Barn Rd.
McLaughlin SD 57642
Links
Friends of Pretty Bird Woman House Yahoo Group
Pretty Bird Woman House Blog - many more resources and links here!!
Amnesty International Report-Maze of Injustice: The failure to protect Indigenous women from sexual violence in the USA
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