Domestic Violence

We know that American Indian/Alaska Native women experience some of the highest rates for domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, sex trafficking, homicide at the hands of an intimate partner, and missing & murdered.  Women with disabilities are of double risk for violence and abuse.  This webinar will offer data on American Indian/Alaska Native disabilities in equal access, fair accommodations, and an opportunity to make powerful contributions to provide accessible, safe, and effective services to individuals with disabilities and Deaf individuals who are victims of sexual assault

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention Fact Sheet on violence against American Indian and Alaska Native people. CDC uses datasets from the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS), the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS), and the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS), to inform MMIP efforts.

This sample proclamation aims to assist Tribal leaders and advocates in their efforts to proclaim October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month across Tribal Nations, Alaska Native villages, and Indian and Native Hawaiian communities. We encourage you to download and customize this template as needed.

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV)/Battering is the purposeful use of a system of multiple, continuous tactics to maintain power and control over another. As described in the Intimate Partner Violence Triangle, this intentional violence results from and is supported by unnatural, misogynistic, sexist societal and cultural belief systems. This tool describes the types of physical and psychological abuse that may be used to maintain power and control over a current or former intimate partner or spouse.

The work to end violence against Native women and recreate peaceful, harmonious communities is based on reclaiming our traditional values, belief systems and life ways. As shown in the Nonviolence Equality Wheel, the key values of this life way are: compassion, respect, generosity, mutual sharing, humility, contributing/industriousness, courage, love and being spiritually centered. At the center of this tool is equality. Equality is recognizing that everyone has the right to follow their path. Equality means power-sharing, not holding power over.

Download Report 

The hardships imposed by COVID-19 are numerous, impacting advocates as individuals and their ability to provide advocacy, resources and shelter to domestic violence survivors. Stay-At-Home orders, social distancing and the other necessary steps intended to offer protection from COVID-19, often escalate the danger to victims of domestic violence and create barriers to safety.

Statistics, and information on domestic violence, and human trafficking in Native Hawaiian communities by the Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence

Privacy, confidentiality and privileged communications are the keystones to safety for survivors of battering or domestic violence. Protecting privacy and confidentiality of victims of domestic violence is directly related to a survivor’s ability to trust, ask for advocacy, support and help. The law provides certain protections to conversations referred to as “privileged communications” between two individuals. All of these protections are important to understand as well as any legal limitations that local laws may impose.

Does your program or tribe need help creating materials promoting non-violence against Native women and children?