The Indian Law Resource Center and the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center (NIWRC) have launched the first videos in a new campaign to raise awareness of and help end violence against Native women and girls.
The campaign is two-fold, featuring a series of “Survivor Stories” with Native women who have experienced domestic and sexual violence and another series of videos on the theme of “Native Love,” with Native youth expressing what Native love means to them and the changes they want to see in their communities.
“With one in three Native women raped in their lifetimes, creating awareness to end violence against Indian and Alaska Native women and girls is the first and foremost priority for this campaign,” said Jana Walker, Senior Attorney and Director of the Center’s Safe Women, Strong Nations project. “The epidemic of violence against Native women and girls cannot be tolerated.”
The “Native Love” video series raises awareness about violence against Native women and girls and is aimed at empowering tribal members, particularly young people, to speak out. Justin Secakuku, a member of the Hopi Tribe of Arizona, shares a Hopi tradition involving white corn, with its symbolism of the value of women to give and produce life.
“Women should be appreciated, honored, and loved,” says Secakuku in the video. “In the concept of Native love, we have to respect what women have to contribute to society as a whole.”
To watch the stories and learn more about the campaign you can visit the National Indigenous Women's Resource Center.
Last Updated on January 15, 2024 by Paul G
