Cecelia Fire Thunder

Follow your intuition, be a better mentor, and defend your rights to freedom of speech, religion, and choice.

These are some of the key messages I took with me after having heard the inspirational Cecelia Fire Thunder speak in Anchorage on March 18, 2009.

Her platform for reproductive justice and the pro-choice movement is closely tied to not only women’s rights, but human rights. However, her focus on and connection to women is unmistakable!

Radiating confidence, Cecelia told us of how she fought back against an unconstitutional decision in 2006 of South Dakota governor Mike Rounds to limit women’s access to options in reproductive health. In direct opposition to Roe v. Wade, a measure was passed outlawing abortion in that state. Cecelia Fire Thunder, in her role as the first female tribal leader of the Oglala Sioux, responded by opening a women’s health clinic on tribal land.

Abortion being the hot-button issue that it is, the story sparked a media uproar. The story was twisted, and it was stated that the clinic was for Native women only. News accounts identified abortion as part of the value system of the Sioux culture. Both of these statements were false. Nevertheless, the controversy resulted in Cecelia’s impeachment as tribal leader.

Cecelia stood her ground through the ordeal, knowing intuitively that she was doing the right thing. To her, the impeachment was less costly than it would have been to lose herself, by abandoning her values and beliefs. She fought back for the right to speak out, to be an individual, to have choices, and for women of any background to have the ability to do the same.

Cecelia found that people on the anti-abortion side of the argument were willing and ready to devote plenty of time and money to silence her. In spite of this, Cecelia continues to speak for the rights of not just Native women, but for all of us. She believes that the decision to carry, give birth to, and raise a child is a personal matter, between each individual woman and her creator – no one else.

She pointed out that in working to silence the pro-choice and reproductive rights movements, and that by doing so with a religious agenda behind them, political figures and lawmakers are in violation of the people’s rights to free speech and freedom of religion.

Cecelia calls on us to be better mentors, to educate other women (and men, too) about the impact limiting reproductive rights and choices has on our health and healthcare options, as well as on our inalienable rights to freedom – to choose our own course in life. We should remember that in talking about reproductive rights, we are not just addressing abortion. We are talking about the rights of women to access a variety of options for birth control, and to have the option to have children if they wish to. Abortion is a serious subject that should be approached rationally and intelligently – not with sensationalism and ideology.

In her speech, Cecelia also touched on the issue of domestic violence and abuse, asking that we work to help our men to be better people. Recognizing that victims’ supports are always necessary, and that abusers must be held accountable for their actions, we must also deal with the need for rehabilitative therapies for offenders. If we fail to address the reasons offenders are offending, we will always have victims in need of crisis services, at levels that we struggle to provide for. Survivors will continue to spend years of their lives repairing damage that cannot be completely undone. Generations will continue to repeat the same cycle, unless we make some positive changes to the way our systems function.

We must work to teach everyone about respect, trust, and healthy relationships – things that we have largely lost touch with as a society. It is time to also break down old gender roles that we have outgrown, and to be kinder and more tolerant as a general rule.

I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to hear Cecelia Fire Thunder speak. Her name alone lets you know that she is a fighter. Her strength and her inspiring words give her audience hope for a better world, and empowerment to work for that goal.

For more information on Cecelia Fire Thunder and the 2006 abortion ban in South Dakota, visit these sites:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cecilia_Fire_Thunder

http://www.nativewomenssocietyofthegreatplains.org/About Us.html

http://www.indianz.com/News/2006/013136.asp

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5391516

Ubuntu

The concept of Ubuntu comes from Africa. It means, essentially, that "a person is a person because of other people." This was presented at a meeting at my work yesterday afternoon, and I found it to be a very important, inspiring, and beautiful idea.
Ubuntu is the idea that none of us can be who we are without the influence, help, and presence of others around us. It follows from this that each of us has a responsibility to help and care for others, too. That everyone is united through our being human. It is a reminder that we are not just individuals in the world, but that we all share the world.
If we all were to embrace this concept of Ubuntu, it would be truly healing for the world.
I encourage everyone to take this to heart, and to pass it on to others.

The Lottery Fiasco in Anchorage

Over the past few days in Anchorage, it’s been hard not to notice a rapid downward spiral in the media headlines. Here’s what’s been happening, in a nutshell: STAR (Standing Together Against Rape) decided to sponsor a lottery as a way to raise funds to sponsor their much needed programs. Ironically, the winner of the $500,000 prize just happens to be a 3-time convicted sex offender. This causes a lot of buzz around town, and understandably so. The now adult victims of the lottery winner and their families are outraged – feeling a half million dollars worth of salt poured into an old wound can do that to you. Debates ensue in the comments sections of online news sources: should he get to keep the money/should he rot in hell; should people get over it an mind their own business/should they sue him for everything and then some. Next thing you know, our celebrity sex offender gets beaten over the head with a tire iron in front of the 5th Avenue Mall.

There are a couple of points I want to make here.

1) Hate crimes do not make it better. No one has the right to abuse another person.

2) Even sex offenders have the right to win the lottery, whether we like it or not.

3) His victims have the right to file a civil suit against him, should they feel compelled to do so.

I hope that people will experience this as a wake-up call. Abusers are around us every day. As STAR points out, it is not surprising that a sex offender would win the lottery, given the odds here. Alaska is at, or near to, the top of the list for all types of child abuse, sexual assault, and domestic violence. Consequently, we also meet victims and survivors every day, in all types of settings – we just aren’t usually aware of it when we do.

This is a crisis level epidemic here! All across our state (and beyond!) people are in need of healing and support as a result of abuse. We need to follow STAR’s lead here, and realize that violence does not solve violence. (I consider all abuse to be violent, even if it is subtle, sneak-up-on-you-and-steal-your-innocence violence.) If you really want to get back at sex abusers and child molesters, you need to support survivors and the agencies that are trying to put a stop to the abuse. If you are that upset that a sex offender is making bank in a lottery that is supposed to fund programs to stop rape, then go make a donation directly to STAR to help balance things out. Here is the link: http://www.staralaska.com/scripts/prodview.asp?idProduct=184

You can also write them a check, and mail it to: STAR, 1057 W. Fireweed Lane, Suite 230, Anchorage, Alaska 99503.

If you are a survivor of abuse, the best thing you can do to get back at your abuser is to get healthy! Make steps toward recovery, do things specifically and consciously to take care of yourself. Therapy is a great idea, but if you can’t afford a professional therapist, you can still get a good friend to help you work through stuff. As you get stronger through your healing, you will have more confidence and success in life. Understand that perpetrators are out there, being successful and getting rich every day. We survivors need to get organized, support each other, and do the same! I encourage you to visit http://www.akangels.blogger.com to find out how my support team and I are working on this very goal.

For those who are interested in reading the news about this whole lottery fiasco, here are links to some articles from the Anchorage Daily News and KTUU.com.

Lottery winner attacked; one man taken into custody Wed Jan 14, 2009

Assailant attacks lottery winner, convicted sex offender Tue Jan 13, 2009

Anchorage man wins Alaska lottery Tue Jan 13, 2009

Lottery sponsor expects slim profit Mon Jan 12, 2009

Lottery fundraiser a huge hit Thu Jan 1, 2009

Lottery winner is a 3-time sex offender Sat Jan 10, 2009

Safety nets fail victims of domestic violence

Here is an article with some useful insights - Scott Gutierrez from Seattle P-I has noticed that people in the middle of a domestic violence crisis are likely to go to a friend or neighbor for help, before seeking intervention from law enforcement.
I think that often, this applies to victims of other violent acts too - sexual assualt, for instance.
I wonder how often a person in the middle of a crisis situation actually thinks to call a 1-800 number for a crisis line? If anything, they may call 911, or, as pointed out by Mr. Gutierrez, head next door. The neighbors, unfortunately, probably don't have the training or insight to refer someone to the appropriate services, and more often than not have no idea what to do to help - even if they really want to.
This is why bringing awareness to our communities is so important. Everybody knows who to call if there is a fire. People should know how to respond when there is a domestic violence situation, or a rape crisis going on.
We like to pretend that these problems are not widespread enough, or not close to home enough for people to need to have this kind of information, but that is simply not the case.
And, unfortunately, the treatment that victims get from the legal and justice systems tend to do a really poor job of covering the bases as far as what that person really needs in order to put themselves back together.
Wouldn't it be great if all our neighbors would stand up for us, comfort us, and help us through the process were an incident of abuse or assault to occur? Or if they at least didn't sit around and wonder if they should say something, and if so what?


Safety nets fail victims of domestic violence
By SCOTT GUTIERREZ
P-I REPORTER

Victims of domestic violence often turn to a neighbor instead of the police, and even if they sought court protection they often weren't given help to stay safe, according to a recent study of domestic violence homicides in Washington.

In addition, women of color were two or three times more likely than Caucasian women to be killed by an intimate partner, according to the report, and often faced cultural and language barriers to escaping an abusive relationship. The same trend was apparent with 43 men who have been killed since the biennial Domestic Violence Fatality Review began in 1997, according to the report.

The report, which was presented Monday by the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, looks at trends in domestic violence homicides in an effort to improve the criminal justice system and community response to better protect victims.

Sixty-eight people were killed as the result of domestic violence in the latest two-year period examined, between July 2006 and June 2008. Of those cases, 11 were chosen for an in-depth look.

In six of those cases, victims went to a neighbor or community member instead of calling the police. Private citizens often didn't know what to do and weren't aware of organizations that they could call for advice about how to help a victim of abuse.

In the past, the fatality review mostly focused on improving how police and courts handle domestic violence. This year, the focus shifted more toward how community members could better prepare if someone sought help from them, including how to help without jeopardizing their own safety, she said.

"In general, who do you turn to when in a crisis? I think most go to the people who are closest to us before we go to a stranger," said Kelly Starr, a coalition spokeswoman. "We can't rely on all of these systems as the answer."

The report recommended that block watches and crime-prevention groups learn more about domestic violence resources and share information. It also suggested that the media give contact information about advocacy services when reporting on domestic violence.

"I think the next piece is building the community's capacity to respond to this. We all have to build ourselves up so we're ready," Starr said.

Still, the report found areas where the court system needed improvement. For instance, victims often had no help from advocates when petitioning for court protection orders against their abusers. Without someone helping them make that decision, they could increase their risk in some cases, according to the report. An advocate can help plan where to go or what to do if the abuser retaliates or with deciding whether obtaining an order is the safest option.

One woman was killed last year in Federal Way just three hours after her boyfriend was served with an anti-harassment order.

In King County, the Prosecutor's Office provides a protection order advocacy program that victims have used in 73,000 cases since it was established 20 years ago. Generally, advocates serve about 5,000 cases each year, in addition to 2,500 walk-ins seeking advice, said David Martin, who supervises the domestic violence unit.

"For some folks, these are very difficult decisions to make -- life-altering decisions. There could be children involved, or a long-term relationship," Martin said. "We want people to understand what's going on and to make a good, informed decision."

Most Washington courts that provide protection orders, however, don't offer advocacy services, according to the report.

In those cases, court clerks' offices could consider referring victims to community-based organizations, which wouldn't cost extra money, Starr said.


FOR MORE INFO
Find out more about domestic violence and how to get help:


To read the latest Washington State Domestic Violence Fatality Review, visit wscadv.org/.


For more information on King County's protection order advocacy program, visit protectionorder.org.


For more information on resources for domestic violence victims, visit

goto.seattlepi.com/r1902.



P-I reporter Scott Gutierrez can be reached at 206-903-5396 or scottgutierrez@seattlepi.com.