Restoration Magazine

Tribal Coalitions Organizing To Restore Sovereignty and Women’s Safety

By Keely Linton, Iipay and Kupa from the Mesa Grande Band, Executive Director, Strong Hearted Native Women’s Coalition

Strong Hearted Native Women’s Coalition, Inc.

 

History of Strong Hearted Native Women’s Coalition, Inc. (SHNWC)

Strong Hearted Native Women’s Coalition, Inc. (SHNWC) is a grassroots 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2005 by women from the Luiseno, Kumeyaay, Cupeno, and Cahuilla Tribal communities in Southern California. SHNWC was founded to expand and enhance services and resources to provide safety for Tribal women and their children. The coalition’s goal is to raise awareness and organize for systemic change among the Tribes within the area, which included nine Reservations: Pala, Pauma, La Jolla, San Pasqual, Rincon, Mesa Grande, Santa Ysabel, Los Coyotes, and Inja-Cosmit. We’re thankful to Juana Majel-Dixon, who wrote our first grant proposal for the Office on Violence Against Women Tribal Coalitions Program and was instrumental in recruiting members to support the work under the Violence Against Women Act. The first gathering in 2005 had 17 founding mothers who elected SHNWC’s board of directors. The late Lorena Majel coined the phrase “Strong Hearted,” hence the name Strong Hearted Native Women’s Coalition.

 

standing and sitting at the Strong Hearted Native Women’s Coalition booth under a red tent with a banner. They are wearing red shirts and traditional ribbon skirts standing and sitting at the Strong Hearted Native Women’s Coalition booth under a red tent with a banner. They are wearing red shirts and traditional ribbon skirts.
SHNWC staff Joy Landers, Summer Elliott, Karen Wilson, Beverly Nelson, Junell Linton, Halona Alexander, Linda Schwartz, Maria Coplin, Tim Ruise & Keely Linton. Photo courtesy of SHNWC.

 

Today, SHNWC is governed by a 22-member board, which includes an Executive Committee: Bennae Calac as President, Melody See as Vice President, Linda Ruis as Treasurer, and Dorothy Willis as Secretary. Germaine Omish-Lucero served as the Coalition’s first executive director from 2006-2017, and I have held the position since Germaine’s departure. SHNWC employs 12 staff members and operates with funding from the Office on Violence Against Women, the Office of Family Violence Prevention and Services, the Office for Victims of Crime, the San Manuel Band, Tribal sponsors, and various foundations.

 

SHNWC’s mission is to restore health to families and communities. Our vision is an informed, peaceful, interconnected community with strong-hearted values.

 

Over the past 19 years, SHNWC has expanded its reach from serving 18 Indian Reservations in San Diego and Riverside Counties to primarily covering the Southern California region, which includes 34 Tribal Nations. As the only nonprofit Tribal Coalition in California, SHNWC strives to support all 109 Tribes in the state. This has included emergency victim support and relocation, technical assistance for Tribal program development, and systems advocacy.

 

Technical Assistance Support and Training

SHNWC provides technical assistance and training to Tribes, state agencies, allied organizations, and supportive services for victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, sex trafficking, and stalking, including cultural and unique barriers facing Native American women. SHNWC increases awareness of and provides technical assistance to Tribal communities to identify and organize to remove systemic barriers facing victims and Tribes, develop responses, and enhance access to services. SHNWC works with local Tribal governments, allies, and state agencies to develop and promote policies that enhance best practices for responding to violent crimes against American Indians and Alaska Natives.

 

Through the years, SHNWC has hosted several conferences, including a teen dating conference and workshops focused on healthy relationships. We host an annual sexual assault conference focusing on healing and wellness. SHNWC has hosted a statewide conference on sexual assault and domestic violence. SHNWC staff raise awareness through community events such as during sexual assault and domestic violence awareness months, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women’s Day, and attending other gatherings and pow-wows. Several PSAs have been developed and are available on Good Health TV, YouTube, and other social media platforms.

 

SHNWC staff and board of directors are active advocates on state and national platforms. They provide testimony and education to keep policy and legislatures focused on survivor needs.

 

Kiicha Program

Kiicha is “home” in the Luiseno language. In 2011, several Tribes and Tribal programs within the region organized to develop a Native women’s shelter operated by SHNWC. This collaboration included the All Mission Indian Housing Authority, Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians, Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, La Jolla Band of Luiseno Indians, Cahuilla Consortium, Indian Health Council, Southern Indian Health Council, and Riverside-San Bernardo Indian Health, Inc.

 

Through its members, Kiicha provides a safe home for American Indian victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, stalking, and sex trafficking, including their children. Kiicha is a multi-agency, multi-service facility that centralizes, coordinates, and consolidates services across counties, governments, and agencies in the Southern California region. Kiicha brings together and coordinates domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking service providers in the region who provide American Indian specific services. Collaborative efforts include other Tribal agency service providers and Tribal governments. Through Kiicha, victims of domestic violence have the opportunities for safe spaces to heal and have access to holistic, comprehensive services unique to their cultural needs. Kiicha members and their partners work together to educate the community, provide services to the entire family, and work to keep our communities safe.

 

Two goals of the Kiicha shelter include:

  1. Provide transitional, short-term, and emergency housing to victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, and sex trafficking to the Native American population in the Southern California region.
  2. Provide holistic, culturally appropriate supportive services to victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, and sex trafficking, including but not limited to counseling, victim advocacy, legal assistance, transportation, child care, case management, employment counseling, and other assistance.

Prevention and Education

Domestic violence and sexual assault prevention and education services are vital for creating safer communities and empowering individuals. These services aim to raise awareness, provide education, and deepen understanding of the dynamics and impacts of abuse. SHNWC offers several prevention programs through a cultural lens, including workshops, training sessions, and outreach initiatives designed to educate the public on recognizing signs of abuse, understanding consent, and promoting healthy relationships. These programs also involve educating non-Tribal partners on cultural awareness and Tribal victim dynamics. The Puyamaangay Kiyam 2SLGBTQ (Always Family) program focuses on cultural aspects to support IPV survivors, while the MMIP Program provides support services for the extended families of victims and survivors. Our goal is to equip individuals with the knowledge and resources necessary to seek help and support those affected by violence.

 

To request SHNWC assistance or for questions, please contact us at www.strongheartednativewomen.org, 760- 644-4781, or info@shnwc.org.