NativeLove: Raising Awareness with Youth to End Domestic Violence
Verizon Continues Funding for NativeLove Project in 2018!
Now in its fourth year, NIWRC is overjoyed and honored to share that our corporate partner Verizon has re-funded the NativeLove project to continue its important youth-based education work. NativeLove was created to raise awareness and help end violence against Native youth by empowering them to reclaim Native love.
Those of us in Native communities often hear jokes about “Indian loving,” described as waking up with a hickey and a black eye—that’s not love, that’s dating violence. The NativeLove project encourages Native youth to redefine what NativeLove means, so they can create change and restore safety to our communities by educating others about traditional ways of loving one another, characterized by respect, honor, kindness, family, and compassion. Our goal is to continue building youth-led peer-to-peer activities to raise awareness and end dating violence by empowering youth to reclaim the tribal meaning of NativeLove. The project is committed to cross-sharing their ideas and expressions of NativeLove among youth and educators, programs, service providers, youth advocates, tribal leadership, and the communities we live, work, and play in.
NativeLove Summer 2017, 41st Annual UNITY Conference
This summer, the NativeLove team attended the 41st United National Indian Tribal Youth (UNITY) Conference in Denver,
Colorado. The conference was held July 6–10, 2017, at the Colorado Convention Center. It was another great opportunity for the NativeLove team and participating youth to connect in an exciting and motivational way!
The NativeLove project hosted an information and activity booth including two youth peer workshops led by Youth Ambassador Kristen Butcher (Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Nation). She was joined by NativeLove team mentor and volunteer, Serene Marshall (Muscogee Creek Nation/ Yakama). Youth participants shared what NativeLove means to them through art expression, speeches, and group discussion.
Infused with culturally relevant content, the conference was the largest gathering in the organization’s history, with more than 2,000 registered attendees converging in Denver for the annual conference. Native youth participants traveled from tribal and urban communities across the United States, and from as far away as the Hawaiian Islands, Alaskan Native villages, and the island of Taiwan Republic of China.
“Facilitating the peer-to-peer workshop made me feel nervous, excited and fulfilled because I know that it would turn out to be something good for each of the youth participating. It actually inspired me to begin creating more Youth leadership opportunities in my own community which I am working on with our local Tribal programs in Southern California. We are excited to see everyone in our home state at UNITY 2018 in San Diego!!”—Kristen Butcher, NativeLove Youth Ambassador, UNITY 2017.
NativeLove Participation in October 2017 DVAM
The NativeLove project holds annual prevention and intervention activities during awareness months for domestic violence, sexual assault, and teen dating violence. We initiate open dialogue and sharing about what is happening in the lives of Native youth, their communities, and what they envision for the future of their communities. This year, in preparation for October Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM), the NativeLove team will partner with other organizations for an event at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas. The three- day event with college students, faculty, crisis teams, and providers will address prevention and help raise awareness to end dating violence and other intersecting forms of violence such as domestic violence, sexual assault, bullying, and cyberbullying. The NativeLove team looks forward to facilitating youth and educator discussions at Haskell Indian Nations University in September in preparation for DVAM activities. For more information on October DVAM NativeLove activities please contact nativelove@niwrc.org.
Join NativeLove Activities!
If you would like connect with NativeLove for activities, engagements, outreach efforts, or resources please email NativeLove@niwrc.org. NativeLove has great resources to share.
