April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness and support for survivors. Sexual violence can happen anywhere, in any community, and affects people of all ages, genders, and backgrounds, including Native American communities, who are disproportionately impacted. Sexual violence means any unwanted sexual contact or behavior without consent. This can include rape, child sexual abuse, unwanted touching, sexual harassment, exploitation or trafficking, sharing private images without permission, or exposing oneself in public. It can involve pressure, threats, manipulation, or force.
Sexual violence is more common than many people realize. About 1 in 5 women and 1 in 71 men report experiencing rape or attempted rape in their lifetime. Around 1 in 2 women and 1 in 4 men report unwanted sexual contact. Many survivors know the person who harmed them, and more than half of women who experience rape report it was by an intimate partner. These experiences often begin at a young age, showing why education and early support are so important.
If you or someone you know needs help, you are not alone. Free and confidential support is available through the RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-HOPE or by texting 64673. You can also call the National Sexual Assault Legal Hotline at 567-742-8837 for legal support. Reaching out can be a powerful first step toward healing, and there are people ready to listen and help.
Statistics In-Depth – National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC)
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By A. Gwynn Henderson and David Pollack On September 7, 1816, readers skimming the Niles’ Weekly Register might have noticed a story about two groups of Shawnee men visiting central Kentucky. It appears on a page with a variety of national and international news: an accounting of how many immigrants had arrived in America, details […]
On November 15, Shawnee Tribe’s Environmental Manager, Cindy Riley, participated in the Muscogee (Creek) Nation’s recycling event to explore new ways of collecting and processing materials—from electronics and batteries to tires, and many more items—and to bring those best practices back to our own tribal community. Key takeaways: Next steps: Together, we can grow our […]
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On Monday December 8, the new Chief Ron Sparkman Shawnee Tribe Council Chambers, located at 29 S. Main Street, held its naming, dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony. The newly designed interiors included the main tribal chambers, private tribal chambers, kitchen and prep space, restrooms, and a private meeting space all adorned with modern flooring, walls, lighting, […]
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