MMIW in Oklahoma

May 2018

Taking Action

The NAAV has a segment on our website that is dedicated to the missing and murdered Native women of Oklahoma. We monitor social media, national databases like NAMUS, and receive information from the public on the latest information surrounding MMIW in Oklahoma. We do all of this in hopes that we can bring awareness to these issues, be able to support families by extending their voices, and identify and advocate for the closing of gaps in systemic response.

If you have a loved one that you would like to have added to this list, please send the information to us at [email protected]

Tribal Spotlight: Osage Nation Family Violence Program

The Osage Nation's Family Violence Program has received a sponsor for legislation that will:

(1) mandate that the Osage Nation programs will accept the Oklahoma Address Confidentiality Program card along with a letter from the Family Violence Program from victims applying for services as “within our jurisdiction”

(2) increase penalties for assault and rape (including banishment), and

(3) expand their criminal jurisdiction to non-Natives (as allowed by VAWA)

This legislation passed the Osage Congress' Committee of Jurisdiction, and will now be put to a vote in the full body of congress.

Want to learn more about the Osage Nation Family Violence Program? Click here!

News for Natives:

House Bill 3076: Oklahoma Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board

The Native Alliance Against Violence has worked tirelessly to make sure that Native voices are heard when it comes to Oklahoma's laws about domestic and sexual violence.

Since the incorporation of the NAAV in 2009, the NAAV leadership has continually been requesting representation on the Oklahoma Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board, but we have not been able to gain the support we needed.

In early January, 2018, Shelly Harrison, Prosecutor with the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, revitalized these efforts. In February, Shelly Harrison and Shawn Partridge (Director of MCNFVPP) met with state legislator, Terry O'Donnell, who agreed to sponsor a bill to make changes to the state statute that governs the Oklahoma Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board to add tribal representatives, specifically “two individuals, at least one of whom shall be an American Indian survivor of domestic violence, selected from a list of three names submitted by the Native Alliance Against Violence, Oklahoma’s tribal coalition against domestic violence and sexual assault.”

The bill passed the House with a vote of 87 to 2, however the bill died in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

ALL IS NOT LOST!

There is a glimmer of hope that the bill can still be passed if it is brought to a vote on the floor of the Senate.

Accordingly, if you feel so inclined, you may reach out to the members of the Judiciary Committee voicing your concern and disappointment in the failure of the committee to move this piece of state legislation forward, and request that it be heard on the floor of the Senate. Please be mindful of any lobbying restrictions of your Tribe and program.

The legislative link for HB 3076 can be found by clicking here .

The following is the contact information for members of the Senate Judiciary Committee:

Senator Anthony Sykes – District 24 (Judiciary Chair)

[email protected]

405-521-5569

Senator Nathan Dahm – District 33 (Judiciary Vice Chair)

[email protected]

405-521-5551

Senator Michael Brooks – District 44

[email protected]

405-521-5557

Senator Julie Daniels – District 29

[email protected]

405-521-5634

Senator Kim David – District 18

[email protected]

405-521-5590

Senator Kay Floyd – District 46

[email protected]

405-521-5610

Senator Joe Newhouse – District 25

[email protected]

405-521-5675

Senator Adam Pugh – District 41

[email protected]

405-521-5622

Senator Jason Smalley – District 28

[email protected]

405-521-5547

Senator Rob Standridge – District 15

[email protected]

405-521-5535

TLDR; Here is your "Too Long Didn't Read" Summary: The tribal domestic violence and sexual assault community has a real chance to be heard, but was denied. The only way to change this is by taking action and contacting your senators today!

The NAAV would like to congratulate Oklahoma's very own Muscogee Creek Nation Family Violence Prevention Program Director, and NAAV Board President, Shawn Partridge . She recently received a prestigious award during the National Crime Victims’ Service Awards Ceremony this Friday in Washington, D.C. Check out her biography on our media page: oknaav.org/media/.

Shawn Partridge - 2018 National Crime Victims' Service Awards

Click above to watch the inspiring video that explains all the great things that Shawn and the MCNFVPP is doing!

Important Dates:

Raising Awareness of Oklahoma's Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women

Today! Thursday, May 3rd, 2018

1:00 – 3:30 pm

Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes Community Event Center | Concho, Oklahoma

Hosted by the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes Social Services-Domestic Violence Program

Click to See the Full Agenda

Kaw Nation Family Trauma Healing Center:

This Saturday, May 5, 2018: 10:00 am - 2 pm

The group will meet at 115 South Maple Avenue, Newkirk, OK, 74647. No childcare will be available, and please bring your own sack lunch. You must wear appropriate hiking attire. If you have any questions call 580-362-1098. Click on the picture to be taken to an enlarged image on the Kaw Nation Family Trauma Healing Center's Facebook.

Visit the Kaw Nation Facebook Page

Comanche Nation Family Assistance Center:

May 9, 2018: 8:30 am - 4 pm

This is a women's wellness seminar that is free and open to the public. The event will be held at the Great Plains Technology Center Room 300, 4500 SW Lee Blvd, Lawton, OK. There will be free continental breakfast, lunch is provided by Prescription Assistance Program, and there will be free health screenings including: blood sugar, blood pressure, and weight checks. There will also be Zumba classes, Thai Chi, and much more.

Click to download the registration form.

Engaging Youth in Presentations

Raven Word, Communication Specialist- I wanted to share this really cool, easy, and fun way to engage a technology enthusiastic audience.

So you go to Kahoot.com and sign up for a free membership. They do have a paid version, but for our purposes, we were able to get by with the free version just fine.

We used this website to create questions with images for our audience to answer. You do need an internet connection when playing, and everyone will need to use their own personal smart phones to answer the questions. It was a fun way to engage younger people and to make a presentation a little more interesting.

Kahoot! for businesses: make training and presentations fun and engaging!

I wanted to share this because it was so easy for us to set up, and the audience was able to pick up on the instructions fairly quickly.

Here is a little video to show the game in action if you are interested!

If you need any help figuring this fun tech out, feel free to send me a message: [email protected]

May 5th: MMNW

May 5th was recently voted the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Native Women and Girls in the U.S.

This recognition is so valuable to the families of the missing and murdered throughout the country. Will you show your support this Saturday by posting on your social media? Let's make the new hashtags: #MMNW and #MMNWG go trending!

Tag us (@oknaav) if you post anything. We would love to see it, and we would love to 'like' it.

Let us know if you have something you would like featured in next month's edition. The information contained here will continue to be available on our website!

This project was supported by Grant No. 2017-IW-AX-0009 awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.