OKMULGEE – The Muscogee (Creek) Nation Center for Victim Services hosted a two-day event on April 14 at the College of the Muscogee Nation and on April 29 at the Creek Nation Council House to raise public understanding of sexual assault. Using a display of clothes and first-hand accounts retelling assault experiences, the outdoor exhibit aimed to debunk the myths that place blame on survivors.
“What were you wearing?” is a question asked of survivors of sexual assault with troubling frequency. “A question filled with victim-blaming and an allusion that the survivor could have prevented their assault if they had worn something less revealing,” MCN CVS stated. “This exhibit asks participants to understand that sexual assault can happen to anyone, wearing anything.”
MCN CVS Outreach Coordinator MaCaylin Autaubo (Wichita) spoke about raising community awareness of myths that blame victims for what they wear rather than placing the blame on perpetrators.
The program hung up clothing displays, which were testimonies that they received from the Dove Center. Autaubo said they took those testimonies and replicated the outfits their staff donated for this event. They also included a sharing board for citizens to write on after viewing the displays.
“The exhibit itself can be very emotional, and then also kind of be a trigger for survivors to go through and view. So that board was placed there so they could either write encouraging letters to survivors or just kind of express how they were feeling after witnessing that exhibit. Just so they could leave, putting that off their chest and making sure that they were able to kind of talk about it in a safe space with us,” Autaubo said.
By hosting events like this, their program strives to spark conversation within the community and encourage people to talk about it.
“Only 5- 10 percent of sexual assault survivors will report the crime, and 43 percent never tell anyone. Why? Survivors often say or think: ‘This whole thing is my fault,’ ‘No one will believe me,’ or ‘I’m so ashamed,’” MCN CVS explained. ”No one wants to believe that someone they know could sexually assault another person. It’s natural to want to believe and support your friends. REMEMBER, you don’t know what really happened; only the people who were there do.”
“It seems like sometimes, sexual assault is not something that people want to talk about. So, just trying to encourage people to speak out and to always stand with survivors. Be supportive of just believing them, their stories, and hoping that we can spark the conversation within the community to where they’re able to feel comfortable with speaking about sexual assault,” Autaubo said.
She is glad that their program can provide this information to the public and inform them about available resources.
MCN CVS had several sheets to hand out to citizens, including information from the Department of Health and Human Services Children’s Bureau. According to the Child Welfare Information Gateway provided by the bureau, parenting a child who has experienced trauma can be complicated without understanding triggers, how to listen, be patient, and be emotionally and physically available.
“Parenting a child or youth who has experienced trauma can be difficult. Families can sometimes feel isolated, as if no one else understands what they are going through. This can put a strain not only on your relationship with your child, but with other family members, as well (including your spouse or partner),” explains the gateway.
The event also gave an opportunity for education on the Sexual Assault Nurse Exam (SANE), which is a forensic examination where evidence can be collected for potential criminal prosecution. This exam is a comprehensive medical evaluation that addresses trauma, treatment for possible sexually transmitted infection and exposure.
In 2025, 43 SANE exams were completed in the MCN Reservation. Separated by age group, the reports showed 0-12-year-olds with 11 exams, 13-17-year-olds with 11 exams, and 18+ year-olds with 21 exams, for a total of 43.
“We want the community to be able to report these crimes, seek justice, and we’re just happy to be able to bring comfort and that safe space for them,” said Autaubo. “We have really great advocates that are able to walk through that process with survivors, whether that be attending court with them, attending SANE or DVNE (Domestic Violence Nurse Exam) exams, or just really being a support for them if they don’t choose to take their crimes to law enforcement, and just providing that support with counseling services and our women’s support group.”
Autaubo emphasized confidentiality- anything that victims report will always be confidential. Advocates are also available 24/7 to speak with survivors.
“We also do have SANE nurses who are available, and these are our sexual assault and nurse examiners. They are certified to assess injuries of sexual assault and domestic violence assaults. So we’re able to provide those exams, which are free and confidential to all survivors; they’ll never receive a medical bill or anything like that,” Autaubo said.
Autaubo wants survivors to feel as comfortable as possible, and their program is never to contact law enforcement unless the survivor requests it.
For information about resources or questions, contact MCN CVS at 918-732-7979
For updates on events, follow them on their Facebook page, Muscogee Nation Center for Victim Services.
