Restoration Magazine

Reconnect With Traditional and Healing Teachings

By Paula S. Julian, Filipina, Senior Policy Specialist, NIWRC
Release of Toolkit For Family and Friends of Indigenous 2S+/LGBTQ+ Victim-Survivors of Domestic Violence

Since 2019, the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center (NIWRC), the National LGBTQ Institute on Intimate Partner Violence1, and the Avellaka Program Rainbow of Truth Circle of the La Jolla Band of Luiseno Indians have collaborated on a project examining the unique needs of Native Two-Spirit+ and LGBTQ+ survivors (2S+/LGBTQ+) of domestic violence and gender-based violence. Very few formal resources exist to support this community, so this project aims to improve the capacity of the best safety net to support Native 2S+/ LGBTQ+ survivors: family and friends. Acknowledging this gap, our agencies began drafting a toolkit for family and friends to learn how to support and protect Native 2S+/LGBTQ+ survivors.

A primary aim of the toolkit is to support family and friends of Indigenous 2S+/LGBTQ+ survivors to reconnect with Indigenous teachings about what it means to be family and value one another. Teachings across Indigenous cultures affirm that all individuals have a place in our families, societies, and nations and were not abused, feared, or excluded because of their gender identity or sexual orientation. Colonization challenged these Indigenous teachings, imposing western norms about gender identities and sexual orientation. The toolkit provides information and strategies to encourage families and friends to reconnect with these teachings and improve their capacity to support their Indigenous 2S+/LGBTQ+ family and friends who may be survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence, or abuse. 2S+/LGBTQ+ are individuals who identify as two-spirit, additional gender identities and sexual orientations, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning.

To further develop the toolkit and ensure its cultural relevance, we held two virtual Conversations With the Field (CWTF): one in December 2020 and one in January 2021. We invited CWTF participants to let us know if they were interested in joining ongoing discussions to develop the toolkit. The CWTF is a facilitation tool developed by NIWRC for organizing national dialogue related to the domestic violence and gender-based violence movement. The CWTF discussion groups (DGs) are utilized to develop the structure of a national platform of current and emerging issues of concern and recommendations to increase the safety of victims-survivors of domestic violence and gender-based violence. Typically, these DGs begin with an overview, followed by a discussion, and then a summary.

Our main goal of the CWTF was to inform the development of the toolkit. We wanted to learn more about what families and friends need to support Indigenous 2S+/LGBTQ+ victim-survivors of domestic violence and gender-based violence, to take an active role to reduce isolation, assist with safety planning, provide survivors with validation, encouragement, and long-term support, and avoid victim-blaming.

 

Members of the 2S+/LGBTQ+ Toolkit Development Advisory Committee include, clockwise from top right: Wendy Schlater; Juana Majel Dixon; Debra O’Gara; Linda Locklear; Carrie Lippy; and Paula Julian. Not pictured: Kim Zahne and Olivia Gray. / Image courtesy of Paula Julian, NIWRC

 

CWTF participants who expressed interest in participating in ongoing discussions formed our 2S+/ LGBTQ+ Toolkit Development Advisory Committee with whom we had additional discussions to finalize our toolkit. Included in the toolkit is a previous article, titled, “Stories Are Our Medicine: Reconnecting with Indigenous Teachings to Create Healing Spaces With and For Native 2SLGBTQ Survivors of Violence” that the Committee worked together to include in NIWRC’s Restoration Magazine June 2021 edition. We thank and recognize our Committee for their time and effort to develop and finalize the toolkit that we released last month.

Resources and local organizing efforts to develop advocacy and programming are important to increase options for 2S+/LGBTQ+ victim-survivors. In the meantime, the Toolkit for Family and Friends of Indigenous 2S+/LGBTQ+ Victim-Survivors of Domestic Violence to Reconnect with Traditional and Healing Teachings provides information and strategies to support families and friends to reconnect with their teachings, including borrowing or creating new teachings, and to improve their capacity to support their 2S+/LGBTQ+ family and friends who are survivors of domestic violence or sexual violence or abuse. Family members can take active roles within their immediate family and larger community spaces to protect, reduce isolation, assist with safety planning, support survivors, and avoid victim-blaming. Having families and friends who are loving, understanding, respectful, and accepting is the best healing and safety net for 2S+/LGBTQ+ survivors.

“I am excited about the release of the toolkit because it is going to inform those family members who want to support and care for their 2S/LGBTQ relatives who are victims of physical and sexual violence,” said Wendy Schlater (La Jolla Band of Luiseno Indians), Director, Avellaka Program.

Links to the toolkit and summary can be found on the following resource page. For more information, reach out to NIWRC via our website: niwrc.org/contact.

Helpful Resources for 2S+/LGBTQ+ Advocacy:

 

For Family and Friends:
  • Toolkit: How Families and Friends Can Reconnect with Native Teachings and Create Healing Spaces with and for Native 2S+/LGBTQ+ Victim-Survivors of Domestic Violence: https://n8ve.net/qCipx
  • Summary: How Families and Friends Can Reconnect with Native Teachings and Create Healing Spaces with and for Native 2S+/LGBTQ+ Victim-Survivors of Domestic Violence: https://n8ve.net/InNTn
  • Restoration Magazine: Reconnecting with Indigenous Teachings to Create Healing Spaces with and for Native 2SLGBTQ Survivors of Violence: https://n8ve.net/aglm3
  • Two-Spirit Identity from StrongHearts Native Helpline: https://n8ve.net/n45rB
  • LGBTQ2S (Two-Spirit) Resources by the Southwest Indigenous Women’s Coalition: https://n8ve.net/Oehkr
  • Two-Spirit People from the National Congress of American Indians: https://n8ve.net/pmtkh

 

For Native Youth

 

Get Help 
  • StrongHearts Native Helpline call/text 1-844-7NATIVE (762-8483), or chat: strongheartshelpline.org. StrongHearts Native Helpline is a 24/7 domestic violence, dating and sexual violence helpline for American Indians and Alaska Natives, offering culturally appropriate support.
  • The Trevor Project call 1-866-488-7386, text 678678, or chat thetrevorproject.org/get-help. The Trevor Project has trained crisis counselors who understand the challenges LGBTQ young people face, available 24/7.