West Salem Apartments community Garden and Pantry
Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Prevention Program
Education, Awareness, and Prevention Initiatives
This term I had the pleasure of not only being an agent of change but of doing a practicum with the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Program Coordinator, Anne Falla. While learning to be an advocate, serving the crisis line and support groups, I fell in love with the Grand Ronde Community. I was given the opportunity to initiate activities and support groups of my own design.
This program exists because of the reality that 1 in 3 Native women are sexually assaulted in their lifetime, and 1 in 8 Native men are sexually assaulted in their lifetime. The domstic violence that is rampent through out all cultures and demographics, coupled with those statistics and the rural setting of the reservation, all called for the creation of the program and the employment of Anne Falla as the program coordinator. Domestic violence, like all social issues, does not get enough attention in our society, nor are the victims of domestic violence treated fairly, recognized appropriatly, and services are hard for them to contact, even when they know whats available. Our culture of silence in regards to violence done within homes and relationships requires us to be active in our prevention and intervention. On June 2nd I gave a presentation on Sexual Harassment and Alienation in the work place, and how to create a more inclusive environment for those that get marginalized. The presentation was a conglomeration of powerpoints written by myself, my program coordinator, and complied from electronic resources. On June 5th the Youth Prevention Team at the Grand Ronde tribal services center is partnering with us to give a seminar for the youth on healthy relationships, teen statstics on domestic violence, and how to deal with direct and vicarious trauma from these situations. The main curriculum offered at this event will be the Circle of 6 app which can be found by hitting the button below. The app helps teens create a support network and the seminar will include powerpoints, discussions, and activities, the In Their Shoes teen dating game, and the presentation of the Croation Short film "A Photo A Day In The Worst Year of My Life" which can be found next to the links to our educational PowerPoints. June and the rest of the summer will be full of good things for our program and myself. My Partner and I will be doing a series on making our own household products as well as using our commodities to make healthy meals, and how we store the large quantities of certain foods in our 575 sq ft apartment. This will be done in partnership with Iskam MǝkʰMǝk-Haws, (Chinuk Wa Wa for "House Where You Get Food") which is ran by Francene Ambrose and is part of the Marion and Polk County Food Share. |
T w o spirit Support GroupThe support group is open to LBGQTi community members as well as allies and advocates. We will be providing healing activities, discuss a need for advocacy, and host themed nights as a source of support, community, recreation, within a safe space. We will also be discussing healthy relationships, and doing DV/SA prevention as it specifically applies to this community. This group took a while to get started but now that it has gained momentum things have been moving along very quickly. As this support group is an extention of our prevention program I would like to call attention to the fact that we have an entire training available for education on understanding, including, and advocating for those in the LBGQTi community. |
ReFlecting |
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I never knew I would become a social worker. I never knew I would become a domestic violence and sexual assault advocate. I never pictured myself standing in front of groups of people armed with PowerPoints full of statistics and my own immovable opinions.
I started this journey with big ideas and feelings about oppression. Over the years I have grown closer to my own identification as a Siletz Tribal member and that really ignited with my social justice education. I expected to actually do some volunteer work at organizations in Portland like Dignity Village. Moving to an area where there is a visible difference amongst the demographics and the geographical locations within the suburb was really what did the trick. Having gone through this capstone and having the chance to initiate projects and pick them up as I went along gave me a real sense of what it meant not only to be an agent of change, but to be someone who worked from their own moral center to effect that change. I could not have done it without my Life Partner Alex, and the support of my professor, Heather Petzold, and the other students in the class.
Today we were asked what metaphor comes to mind in relation to being agent of change. I couldn't think of an inspiring or creative metaphor. I couldn't really think of a metaphor at all. What I thought of was that it feels like being a genuine and true citizen. It feels like I am completely actualizing my social responsibility by ensuring that diversity is recognized and respected and the path to that actualization requires alot of effective communication and critical thinking. I have run into a lot of barriers be that city officials, people opposed to the spreading and welcoming of new ideas, and the constraints of time. The important thing is that while I run full tilt into these barriers and smack into them, I rebound everytime having learned when to nativate slowly, and when to expect those sudden turns and road blocks. At times I felt like the Queen of Red Tape this term, and other times I felt like a work horse. Mostly, I felt things changing. My life outlook and life itself was changing. My partner and I were becoming just that in every sense of the word. And people were starting to listen, share, and reach out.
It is hard to move on from this class. A grouch by nature, I will genuinely miss what came to feel like a center of mutual support for so many good causes.
I started this journey with big ideas and feelings about oppression. Over the years I have grown closer to my own identification as a Siletz Tribal member and that really ignited with my social justice education. I expected to actually do some volunteer work at organizations in Portland like Dignity Village. Moving to an area where there is a visible difference amongst the demographics and the geographical locations within the suburb was really what did the trick. Having gone through this capstone and having the chance to initiate projects and pick them up as I went along gave me a real sense of what it meant not only to be an agent of change, but to be someone who worked from their own moral center to effect that change. I could not have done it without my Life Partner Alex, and the support of my professor, Heather Petzold, and the other students in the class.
Today we were asked what metaphor comes to mind in relation to being agent of change. I couldn't think of an inspiring or creative metaphor. I couldn't really think of a metaphor at all. What I thought of was that it feels like being a genuine and true citizen. It feels like I am completely actualizing my social responsibility by ensuring that diversity is recognized and respected and the path to that actualization requires alot of effective communication and critical thinking. I have run into a lot of barriers be that city officials, people opposed to the spreading and welcoming of new ideas, and the constraints of time. The important thing is that while I run full tilt into these barriers and smack into them, I rebound everytime having learned when to nativate slowly, and when to expect those sudden turns and road blocks. At times I felt like the Queen of Red Tape this term, and other times I felt like a work horse. Mostly, I felt things changing. My life outlook and life itself was changing. My partner and I were becoming just that in every sense of the word. And people were starting to listen, share, and reach out.
It is hard to move on from this class. A grouch by nature, I will genuinely miss what came to feel like a center of mutual support for so many good causes.
So, Now What?
The City of Salem has not heard the last of me. I will continue to campaign for accessability and dignity for all residents of our area. Alex and I will continue volunteering a tIskam MǝkʰMǝk-Haws and I will continue to serve as advocate as long as the tribe will have me.
This has become an addiction for me, and it's one I won't be breaking. I intend to keep running full tilt in the direction of my goals and focuses and I intend on smacking right into walls. Instead of rebounding off of them, I plan to tear them down.
This has become an addiction for me, and it's one I won't be breaking. I intend to keep running full tilt in the direction of my goals and focuses and I intend on smacking right into walls. Instead of rebounding off of them, I plan to tear them down.