Over the years, RALIANCE has awarded grants to violence and sexual violence prevention projects and organizations led by and serving in the Native American community. This May, Amnesty International published a report that again demonstrated over “half of all American Indian and Alaska Native women have experienced sexual violence in their lifetime; one in three have experienced rape,” chilling stats that have remained true since at least 2007. In honor of National Native American Heritage Month, RALIANCE is proud to highlight how some of these incredible grantees that support survivors and help make their communities safer.
Visioning B.E.A.R. Circle Intertribal Coalition – The Northeastern focused organization earned a RALIANCE grant in 2019 expand prevention work to keep children safe using indigenous circle process in both Tribal and Housing and Urban Development Communities. The anti-racist, non-hierarchical circle process—also inclusive of Black and Latinx people—engages communities to build trust, foster leadership and create safe spaces. The circle process is based on five principles of radical empathy, intergenerational wisdom, restorative justice, women leadership and ancestral guidance to help reduce behaviors such as drug abuse, gang violence and sexual violence while supporting survivors.
Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center – In In 2016, the 40-year-old organization was awarded a RALIANCE grant to create a series of Survivor Support Project activities to contribute to greater understanding of the sexual violence survivor experience and best practices for providing culturally appropriate prevention services, with emphasis on the impact of historical trauma on the American Indian community. Activities included community education events, educational programming to urban American Indian parents and caregivers, and conducting, publishing and distributing a community needs assessment specific to sexual exploitation experiences of American Indian boys, young men, and Two-Spirited/American Indian LGBTQ youth.
RALIANCE is so honored to partner with these organizations who help improve the quality of life and empower survivors and allies in and around their communities every day. We are currently working on selecting the 2023 grantees, so please stay tuned. In the meanwhile, you can learn more about past grantees in our directory.
RALIANCE is a trusted adviser for organizations committed to building cultures that are safe, equitable, and respectful. RALIANCE offers unparalleled expertise in serving survivors of sexual harassment, misconduct, and abuse which drives our mission to help organizations across sectors create inclusive environments for all. For more information, please visit www.RALIANCE.org.