SAND SPRING, Oklv.- The Muscogee (Creek) Nation (MCN) Center for Victim Services (CVS) hosted a skating party at the Skates Rollertainment for 8th-12th grade students on Feb. 24. MCN Lighthorse staff were in attendance and spoke about topics on healthy teen dating and technology safety regarding social media.
MCN CVS Outreach Coordinator MaCaylin Autaubo (Wichita) spoke about the event, particularly how it spread awareness of teen dating violence. Autaubo also provided information on toxic relationship statistics, as well as her own personal experiences on the topic. The party was hosted during teen dating violence awareness month. The party’s theme was “If you wanna be my love, you gotta get my consent!”
The event’s 50 available spots were all filled. CVS invited students from the Murrow Indian Children’s Home. Staff members received great feedback from the home’s students regarding the department’s last event. So much so, the students even requested to attend the skate party.
Leading up to the event CVS reported that they received calls from parents and guardians who expressed their excitement for the gathering. They were grateful for how the program continues to provide safe activities for youth, while also incorporating education on important topics like teen dating violence.
“We try to take initiative to really push the awareness months because we deal with a lot of that in our office and we have a lot of community members and teams in particular that are going through those situations,” Autaubo said. “So making sure we’re giving them the information that they need and also giving the parents and guardians that they need. Also providing our program info, our services, our phone number is a big one that we try to push just so they know we’re here, we help anybody and everybody and those services are there for them.”
When choosing events like these, Autaubo and MCN CVS Youth Prevention Specialist Jamie Rolland (Yuchi/Mvskoke) try to gauge what students find fun and engaging. Autaubo receives advice on youth event programming from her brother, who is currently a high school student.
According to Autaubo, although her role in event programming can become stressful at times, the positive feedback she receives from the families she serves makes it worth it in the end. “I’m getting these people out here. We’re pushing all of this information. There’s more people calling our office for assistance and I think that is probably the height of all of it,” Autaubo said.
Skating and Learning
At the party MCN Lighthorse Officer Theresa Wisner-Lee spoke about technology safety. CVS discussed their program and the services they offer. Materials were handed out with information on what to do if someone finds themself in need of guidance or assistance when they find themselves in a toxic relationship. Afterward students, CVS staff, parents and guardians enjoyed food, skating, playing games, and listening to music over the speakers. While the party provided fun for the night, the hope is that students would leave with important lesson takeaways.
“I’m so hopeful that they really take in what officer Wisner Lee has to say as well as the consent side as well because our older kids, we want to make sure that they’re understanding what consent is and what that looks like too,” Autaubo said.
Without the proper knowledge regarding online safety, this can leave students vulnerable. In 2024 it is common for students to socialize online with friends from school or elsewhere. This can pose the risk of encountering online predators. With the lesson takeaways from the skating party, Autaubo hopes students will know what to do if they find themselves in a situation where they do not feel safe. This includes who to report suspicious online activity to.
“When you put yourself in their situation and you have the different types of technology and social media apps that we have today, it is completely different from whenever I was their age,” Autaubo said. “TikTok and Snapchat are really big ones. But making sure that they understand the pros and cons of those social media platforms and what they’re presenting to the public is important.”
According to Autaubo’s research, “One in 11 female students and one in 15 male students report experiencing teen dating violence. Often we experience these types of things and we’re in our adolescent age, so we kind of see it as our first love or puppy love and different things like that. So we’re not really seeing those red flags come up because we are so blinded by affection and that may not be a good relationship most of the time.”
Teen dating violence can involve physical or emotional abuse. In scenarios involving unhealthy relationships there are certain signs that partners may not recognize. According to Autuabo, teens can confuse those behaviors and feelings of “love and adoration”. CVS stresses that teens should set boundaries for themselves and adhere to them while pursuing relationships.
Growing up Autaubo was unaware of statistics pertaining to toxic relationship behaviors. However, she did recall seeing other family members go through similar situations, something that many Native Americans have historically experienced. Autaubo remarked that in spite of this, she did find positive relationship role models in her grandparents who outwardly expressed care, affection and love for one another.
Autaubo believes these personal experiences helped equip her for her current position at CVS by providing her with sensitivity and compassion for physical and emotional abuse survivors. Autaubo wants all survivors to know CVS employees like herself can empathize with their struggle, and that they are not alone.
“If you come to CVS that’s all you hear is just encouragement and affirmation. That’s what we’re built around is just being positive and uplifting each other as well as others.” Autaubo said.
For further information about the MCN CVS program, contact them at their office at 918-732-7979, or contact Autaubo directly at maautaubo@muscogeenation.com.
