MVSKOKE RESERVATION – Through the month of October the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Center for Victim Services advocated for the Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Programs and come-and-go events during the month offered an opportunity for community members to learn about the services the department provides throughout the year.
“This year our theme,Cycle Breakers, came from the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women. This theme celebrates the strength, resilience, and determination of our native communities to break the cycles of violence. It only takes one person to break the cycle and we hope to encourage this among the families in our community,” MCN CVS Outreach Coordinator MaCaylin Autaubo (Wichita) said.
Their program provides prevention education and resources to communities year round, but during the October activities they spend time connecting with the citizens to provide meaningful information and promote their services.
“Our goal is to provide prevention on domestic violence and the alarmingly high rate of violence within our Native communities,” Autaubo said. “We wanted to host events that were come and go, so individuals who work or are busy with life in general, were able to participate and show their support.”
“Having our amazing staff at CVS makes my job easier because not only do they have great ideas, but they bring ideas straight from our clients. Being able to incorporate those ideas into our events has always given me a sense of accomplishment because it’s our survivors who are helping us share these prevention messages to those who may need them the most.”
Autaubo shared the difficulties victims face when leaving abusive relationships and the many factors that make it hard to leave, such as fear, intimidation, shame, and lack of resources. Autuabo explained that shared children can also be a reason for not leaving an abusive relationship because of the guilt a survivor may feel that he/she is disrupting their own family unit.
There are also short and long term effects of domestic violence on mental health and emotional development.
“Short term effects may include minor to severe injuries to the body. The short-term emotional effects can include confusion, shock, anxiety, sadness, and even changes in sleeping problems. Trauma from domestic violence can lead to more complicated long-term effects that affect the mental wellbeing of survivors. These complications can look like depression, PTSD, drug abuse, and in more severe cases suicide,” Autaubo said.
Children can also see what their parents went through in a toxic/abusive relationship and it could affect them when they grow up.
“Children who have secondary trauma from witnessing mom/dad being abused, can also show signs of short- and long-term effects. More often than not, children who see this abuse in their childhood go on to experience toxic/abusive relationships in their own life because of the behavior they witnessed in their childhood,” Autuabo said.
CVS provides year-round resources to survivors of domestic and sexual violence. They can assist in locating emergency shelter, creating a safety plan, assisting with filing protective orders, and accompaniment to tribal/state/or federal court. CVS can also assist with Domestic Violence Nurse Exam (DVNE) and a Sexual Assault Nurse Exam (SANE). There are also additional resources/referrals available for the survivors, depending on their needs.
Autaubo said that the survivors have a right to a free exam, regardless of their decision to report to law enforcement.
DV statistics across Indian Country tell an alarming story. “In the U.S., violence against native women and men have reached devastating levels on tribal lands. Lifetime exposure of violence for native women is 84% and for men 81%. Oklahoma has the highest rates of both domestic violence victimization and intimate partner homicide,” Autaubo shared.
“We encourage our communities to support survivors of domestic violence by being proactive during the month of October and every month after. Prevention doesn’t end in October; it should happen all year round. We also encourage community members to attend our events to show their support and learn more about the warning signs of domestic violence, whether for their own relationships or for a loved one,” Autaubo said.
She spoke about how it feels to be putting these events on for the Domestic Violence Awareness month in October and how her program leaves an impact for the survivors.
For any information, resources, outreach, or in-service training, contact CVS at 918-732-7979 or email Autaubo at maautaubo@muscogeenation.com
