Minnesota Indian Womens Sexual Assault Coalition

THROUGH UNITY WE WILL STRENGTHEN OUR VOICES AND BUILD RESOURCES TO CREATE AWARENESS AND ELIMINATE SEXUAL VIOLENCE AGAINST INDIAN WOMEN AND CHILDREN. WE WILL VIGOROUSLY APPLY OUR EFFORTS TOWARD INFLUENCING SOCIAL CHANGE AND RECLAIM OUR TRADITIONAL VALUES THAT HONOR THE SOVEREIGNTY OF INDIAN WOMEN AND CHILDREN.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING - PROVIDED EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN MINNESOTA AND NATIONALLY TO INCREASE AWARENESS OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE AND SEX TRAFFICKING OF AMERICAN INDIAN WOMEN AND ALASKA NATIVE WOMEN AND CHILDREN TO ENHANCE, STRENGTHEN TRIBAL, STATE AND FEDERAL RESPONSES TO SUCH VIOLENCE. WE HELD THREE VIRTUAL, 40-HOUR SEXUAL ASSAULT ADVOCACY TRAININGS, IN MARCH, JUNE, AND SEPTEMBER; WHERE WE TRAINED OVER 500 PEOPLE. IN ADDITION, WE CONDUCTED FOUR WEBINARS DURING SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS MONTH; TWO, INDIGENOUS TOOLS FOR LIVING SESSIONS; A YOUTH TOWN HALL; A PANEL PRESENTATION ON HEALTHY MASCULINITY; AND PROVIDED NUMEROUS VIRTUAL WORKSHOPS AND PRESENTATIONS TO OVER 1000 PEOPLE. THE TOPICS INCLUDED: PROSTITUTION/TRAFFICKING OF NATIVE WOMEN & CHILDREN SEXUAL VIOLENCE AGAINST NATIVE WOMEN TRIBAL STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS SEXUAL VIOLENCE MENTAL HEALTH TWO SPIRITS/LGBTQ ISSUES HEALTHY MASCULINITY CONFIDENTIALITY AND ADVOCACY STANDARDS OF SERVICE. WE PROVIDED TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO 39 TRIBAL SEXUAL ASSAULT SERVICES PROGRAM GRANTEES; FIVE PROJECT BEACON GRANTEES; AND SEVERAL TRIBAL PROGRAMS THROUGH OUR SEX TRAFFICKING IN INDIAN COUNTRY AND ALASKA TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

PUBLIC AWARENESS - WE COLLABORATED WITH THE A LOCAL NATIVE AMERICAN ARTIST, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND ORGANIZATIONS, TO HOST AN ART INSTALLATION OF OVER 3,000 RED CARDBOARD CUTOUT DRESSES ON THE STATE CAPITOL LAWN TO HONOR OUR MURDERED & MISSING INDIAN RELATIVES. IT WAS WELL ATTENDED, AND INCLUDED SEVERAL PUBLIC OFFICIALS WHO SPOKE ON THEIR COMMITMENT TO THE ISSUE. WE ALSO WORKED WITH A NATIVE WOMAN PHOTOGRAPHER TO CREATE A HEALTHY MASCULINITY POSTER SERIES, FEATURING SEVERAL NATIVE MEN WHO SHARED THEIR THOUGHTS ON HEALTHY MASCULINITY AND ADDRESSING GENDER BASED VIOLENCE.

MEMBERSHIP AND OUTREACH - OUR MEMBERSHIP INCLUDES 39 PROGRAM MEMBERSHIPS AND 114 INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS, WE PROVIDED QUARTERLY VIRTUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS. WE HAD A VIRTUAL VISIONING MEETING WITH OUR MEMBERSHIP IN JANUARY. WE ALSO PROVIDED ONGOING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND OUTREACH TO OUR MEMBERS THROUGH OUR LISTSERV, EMAIL, TELEPHONE AND SOCIAL MEDIA OUTLETS. WE PARTNERED WITH VIOLENCE FREE MN AND MN DEPT OF CORRECTIONS TO INTERVIEW FORMALLY INCARCERATED NATIVE WOMEN AND INCARCERATED NATIVE WOMEN ON PERSONAL HISTORY OF VICTIMIZATION.