OKMULGEE, Okla. – The Muscogee (Creek) Nation Center for Victim Services hosted an advocacy panel for child sexual assault awareness on April 23. Panelists included law enforcement officers, therapists, advocates and prosecutors all discussing the hard topic of child sexual assault. Affecting Native Americans at twice the rate compared to the national average, the crime is often underreported. Many who survive child sexual abuse are likely to be subject to recriminalization, or the increased likelihood of sexual abuse as adults. The panel and walk were just one of the many events hosted by CVS to recognize child sexual assault awareness month.
CVS Staff members at the panel wore T-shirts that read “Silence is not our tradition.” According to CVS Child Sexual Assault Advocate Willard Cully (Mvskoke), this slogan asserts that it is not permissible to stay complicit in allowing abuse to happen to yourself or other victims.
“We wanted to specifically bring light to child sexual assault because it is the most left behind thing because of the silence in our homes,” Cully said. “That goes back to what a lot of people say ‘tradition’. That’s why our shirts say ‘Silence is not tradition’ because it’s not, it’s more of a curse. We wanted to let people know that even though you may be an adult now, we can still heal your inner child.”
Those who attended the panel learned step-by-step how child sexual abuse is reported, taken down, and prosecuted through the MCN. After an initial report is taken, Lighthorse officers then begin their investigation. If there is enough evidence to prosecute, the case will go to the Attorney General’s office.
Survivors can face hard obstacles in adulthood if they do not have access to resources that allow them to heal from the sexual violence they experienced as children. They can struggle with depression, substance abuse, and poor self esteem. According to Ballard Brief Research Library, Native American women are disproportionately more likely to be victims of sexual assault than Native American men, which puts them at greater risk of unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.
According to panelists, sexual assault perpetrators do not always receive justice they deserve for crimes committed on the reservation. Cully explained that although every case that goes though CVS does not always receive the outcome crime advocates fight for, their main objective is to give victims a voice.
CVS understands that hard topics like child sexual assault can carry a heavy emotional burden. The department was adamant in offering help if an attendee was emotionally triggered by a topic that was discussed at the panel. During the event therapists, advocates, and spiritual leaders were on standby to listen and console those who needed it.
According to Cully, the best way to support sexual assault survivors is to simply listen.“We can always be an ear. Give people the space to say what they need to say,” Cully said. “Sexual assault in general is a hard topic to talk about for some people, very uncomfortable. But we have to have those hard conversations with our adults and our children.”
To stay up to date on CVS and programming, visit their Facebook page, Muscogee Creek Nation Center for Victim Services. To report child sexual abuse, call the department’s main number at 918-732-7979.
