6
S MOKE S IGNALS
OCTOBER 15, 2014
Second Renewing Spirits luncheon
shines light on domestic, sexual abuse
By Ron Karten
Smoke Signals staff writer
The Elders’ Activity Center din-
ing room was packed during the
second annual Renewing Spirits
luncheon held Monday, Oct 6.
Outside of the luncheon, informa-
tion tables stretched straight back,
holding all kinds of pamphlets about
domestic violence and sexual abuse.
The tables were staffed with
about a dozen specialist providers
representing Yamhill, Polk, Marion
and Lincoln counties, nonprof-
its (Juliette’s House, Henderson
House, Sable House and Liberty
House, among many) and two
Tribes – the Confederated Tribes
of Siletz Indians’ Indian Care Pro-
gram and the Grand Ronde Tribe’s
Domestic Violence Program – each
with a niche service in the fi ght to
end domestic and/or sexual violence
within their communities.
Annie Falla, the Grand Ronde
Tribe’s Domestic Violence Program
coordinator, said that one of the
luncheon’s aims was to introduce
a coordinated response to sexual
abuse cases. The response means
giving the best information and
knowing all available resources to
give every victim the same chances.
The coordinated response also
means among Tribal programs and
between community programs.
Falla and her Advisory Board
have started the groundwork for a
Sexual Assault Response Resource
Circle, a program similar to Sexual
Assault Response Teams operating
in all of Oregon’s 36 counties, but
with a Tribal focus.
SARRC principles seek a program
that is community-driven, multi-dis-
ciplinary, inter-agency, victim-cen-
tered and offender-focused.
The grant funding for the Renew-
ing Spirits luncheon also provides
money to train two nurses to be
Sexual Assault Nurse Examin-
er-certifi ed. The funding was grant-
ed by the Northwest Portland Area
Photos by Michelle Alaimo
Tribal member Amber Case talks about her experiences with domestic
violence during the Renewing Spirits luncheon held at the Elders’ Activity
Center on Monday, Oct. 6. Listening in the background is Annie Falla, the
Tribe’s Domestic Violence Program coordinator, who was part of the team
that organized the event.
At right, JC Rogers pets Marybeth
II during the Renewing Spirits
luncheon held at the Elders’ Activity
Center on Monday, Oct. 6. Marybeth
II is the Yamhill County District
Attorney’s courthouse dog and she
was at the event with her handler
Sarah Grabner, the county’s crime
victim advocate.
Indian Health Board for the second
year in a row.
In order to make this happen,
the SARRC committee is staffed by
Tribal police, Social Services and
Health & Wellness Clinic employ-
ees, and members of the community
and nonprofi ts across the local area.
Falla helped coordinate the lun-
cheon through her 15-member
Advisory Board.
“Increasing public awareness is
defi nitely the fi rst step,” said Jeff
Lorenz, executive director of Health
Services for the Tribe and a SARRC
member.
Lunch featured do-it-yourself
sandwiches with chocolate fi xings
for dessert. Raffl es were held.
At the front of the room, a num-
ber of luncheon participants spoke
about their abuse experiences.
“You don’t know what you’ll come
home to,” one Tribal Elder said.
For her, it had been a punch in the
face. “I grew up hating my mom,
but years later, I felt sorry for her.
She had seen my grandmother do
the same thing to her.”
“It’s important to bring it home,”
said Falla. “She is our reason for
doing this. She is our strength.”
The U.S. Department of Justice
recently made domestic violence
and sexual assault awareness for
Tribal communities a priority, said
AMERICAN INDIAN TEACHER PROGRAM
Ad created by George Valdez
Falla. Statistics show that of all
American women, one in fi ve will
be raped in their lifetime. In Indian
communities across the country,
one in three will be raped.
In addition, Native women are 2.5
times more likely to be victims of
sexual assault than women across
the United States.
Previously, Falla helped start a 24-
hour crisis line. In June, the crisis line
received more than 30 calls, she said,
but none in the last three weeks.
Falla also started a support group
and healing circle at the Tribe for
those needing to heal from past and
current hurts.
Crisis time is coming again, said
Tribal Police Chief Al LaChance.
“Domestic violence offenses always
increase at holiday time,” he said.
Overall though, Tribal police
have seen only a
small number of
domestic violence
cases reported on
the Reservation.
“We’re going to
continue to edu-
cate not only the
community, but
also Tribal mem-
bers on the impor-
tance of reporting
domestic violence
and sexual as-
sault,” said LaChance.
Tribal Council members Jon
A. George, Chris Mercier, Denise
Harvey, Tonya Gleason-Shepek
and Ed Pearsall attended. Tribal
Elder and longtime Tribal Council
Chair Kathryn Harrison gave the
invocation. Seven members of the
Canoe Family drummed and sang.
Many members of the luncheon
wore T-shirts that read “What is
done by one is felt by all” and “Hon-
or Our People.”
“This is very much needed,” said
the Tribal Elder who remembers
being punched in the face. “I’d
like to see this ongoing. Speaking
for my grandkids who are having
problems, I feel their pain.
“I was married to an abusive hus-
band for years. I didn’t know there
was help out there. Well, we grow
from it.” n