April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month

Well, better late than never.

Here are a couple of things to be aware of.

Tuesday, April 19, Frontline will be airing their investigation into Catholic Church abuses of Native Alaskan children. From the press release:

FRONTLINE reveals a little-known chapter of the Catholic Church sex abuse story: decades of abuse of Native Americans by priests and other church workers in Alaska.

In The Silence, the first of two magazine segments airing Tuesday, April 19, 2011, at 9 P.M. ET on PBS, FRONTLINE producer Tom Curran and reporter Mark Trahant examine the legacy of abuse by a number of men who worked for the Catholic Church along Alaska's far west coast in the late 1960s and early 1970s. They would leave behind a trail of hundreds of claims of abuse, making this one of the hardest hit regions in the country.

Don't miss this one. You can find it at your local PBS website.

Here's a letter from the U.S. Attorney for North Dakota on Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

In 2009, the president declared April Sexual Assault Awareness Month. This April I am answering the president's call to be a partner in raising awareness on the issue of sexual violence. 

By: Timothy Q. Purdon, Bismarck 
In 2009, the president declared April Sexual Assault Awareness Month. This April I am answering the president's call to be a partner in raising awareness on the issue of sexual violence. I want to focus attention on the issue of sexual violence in North Dakota's tribal communities. 
In the time since I was sworn in as North Dakota's United States attorney on Aug. 24, 2010, I have traveled to the reservations to consult with the Spirit Lake Sioux Tribe, Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, and the Three Affiliated Tribes of Fort Berthold. Joined by others from the U.S. Attorney's Office, I consulted with tribal council members, tribal law enforcement, Bureau of Indian Affairs law enforcement, tribal social services, tribal court judges and staff, and tribal detention officials.
On March 16, the U.S. Attorney's Office held a Tribal Listening Conference at United Tribes Technical College in Bismarck. We invited tribal leaders, as well as federal, state and local leaders, to come together to discuss the important issue of public safety in tribal communities. During all of these consultations, it has become apparent that sexual violence occurs far too often on the reservations in North Dakota. 
There is one statistic that stands out for me above all others: A Native American female baby has a 1-in-3 chance of being sexually assaulted in her lifetime.
A statistic like this is not an American Indian problem; it is an American problem. It is not a Standing Rock or a Turtle Mountain problem; it is a North Dakota problem. As terrible as this statistic is on its face, a deeper look reveals another critical concern: Sexual assault remains one of the most under-reported crimes in America. 
The Bureau of Justice Statistics states that in 2008, fewer than half of rapes or sexual assaults against women were reported. Many victims will never seek justice for a host of reasons, including fear of not being believed, having to relive a traumatic experience, or fear of retribution, to list a few.
Finally, the effects on victims and society are profound. Many sexual-assault victims suffer severe long-term physical and emotional difficulties. 
In discussing these issues of sexual violence in tribal communities with my friends and neighbors who do not routinely visit the reservations, it has become apparent that many non-American Indians living in North Dakota are unaware of the levels of sexual violence on the reservations.
When I speak publicly about these issues, the response is often the same. After my remarks, many members of the audience will approach me individually and say, "I had no idea that this sort of thing was happening in North Dakota. What can I do to help?" 
The answers to that question are as varied as the people who ask it, but the common theme is simple: Get involved. North Dakotans can volunteer at a local abused women's shelter, focus their charitable giving toward efforts to address this issue, talk to the members of their house of worship or civic group about getting involved on the reservations, or simply insist that, in their presence, victims of sexual violence will not be blamed or shamed into silence. 
Now aware of the grim statistical fate that awaits so many Native women, I find myself reflecting on their 1-in-3 chance of sexual assault when I go to a pow-wow and see a group of three 7-year-old jingle dancers walk out into the sunlight to begin their dance or when I see an extended Native family of grandmother, mother and daughter pumping gas at a convenience store. 
Like many of you, I have a mother, a sister and a wife. The three women in my family are not subject to this horrific statistic. The injustice of the fact that Native women are living with this statistic is offensive to me and should be to every American. I am asking for your help in this fight. 
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Purdon, Bismarck, is the U.S. attorney for the District of North Dakota.