Crisis of Public Safety in Alaska
“How can we rethink our strategies on justice?”
The month of October is National Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (DVSA) Awareness month. As advocates for gender justice including that to end gender-based violence, we wanted to take this important time to share re-thinking strategies to justice.
This national awareness month has been in place since 1989 to call attention to the pervasive violence in ‘domestic’, ‘at home’ spaces. Alaskans burden this violence: In a 2015 survey, out of every 100 adult women in the state, 40 have expereinced intimate partner violence, 33 have experienced sexual violence and 50 have experienced intimate partner violence, sexual violence, or both in their lifetime. Moreover- Among Alaska Native and American Indian people a sobering 84.3% of those surveyed indicated that they had experienced violence in their lifetime. Over and over again we have alarming statistics that shed light on the crisis of public safety in Alaska. The brave #metoo movement brought personal stories to these numbers. The need for shelters, services, and prevention has been called for time and time again. The shortcomings of VAWA implementation in Alaska has been stated numerous times from various sectors yet considered a championing point on Murkowski’s campaigns.
There are crisis lines, after crisis lines. And yes, there are incredible front-line organizations providing direct services and doing meaningful work (see Resources). And yes, the need for more is great. The outcry for more funding for tribes, nonprofits, and state initiatives hasn't’ stopped. Here, today in 2020, we have an abundance of research, matched with strong and steady voices of testimony at every level. So, after 31 years of DVSA Month- if there is anyone who is unaware of the issue it is because they are NOT listening. If DVSA isn’t on folks’ radar it's because they are CHOOSING to ignore the issue.
How can we rethink our strategies on justice? If we are to address DVSA then we need to start calling it what it truly is- white supremacy, capitalism, and patriarchy. It’s sexism. It’s racism. It’s homophobia. It's the interlocking of these systems that continues to perpetuate violence. It is not only happening in the private sphere of the ‘domestic’ home fronts. It’s happening throughout systems beyond the domestic private space. This terminology is outdated and refers to a capitalist ideal of separation of public and private, meant to divide the political from personal, a false reality we recognize now that the political state impacts us whether we acknowledge it or not. The systemic issue of violence is in fact very public facing. Whether it's seen through the protests on police brutality or the recent case of former state Attorney General Kevin Clarkson- we can no longer deny the very public and very systemic issues of violence. Recognizing this means naming the issues of barriers and lack of accountability for what it is, symptoms of white supremacy, capitalism, and patriarchy. And the strategy? The strategy then to address DVSA in this month, and every other month is to break down systems of oppression while also growing and nurturing our ways of life that heal and keep us in right relations. This is decolonization and Indigenization of systems.
By using this framework we inherently build in a holistic and interconnected solutions-based alternative strategy to address all forms of violence. In our work of gender justice and healing we not only start to break down binaries of gender that are dehumanizing but we put forth cultural values and Indigneous ways of knowing to guide a new pathway forward. So, as we move through this month of DVSA awareness and hear from elected officials and representatives at AFN this week, such as US Attorney General Barr, let us start asking the critical questions of what role are they playing and why are they choosing to ignore the crisis of violence in Alaska? There is an opportunity to also examine budgets to see if they reflect the values we stand for, and if those dollars are being used to truly stop violence or perpetuate systems of violence. We’ve called for action. Justice is overdue.
What actions are elected officials and representatives taking now to reflect the stance they express? Follow Always Indigenous Media this week and share out PeoplesAFN2020.org!
Resources:
StrongHearts Native Helpline 1-844-7NATIVE (762-8483)
National Hotline 1-800-799-7233 available 24/7
RAINN Hotline 1-844-762-8483, available everyday, but closes at 10pm
Crisis Hotline 1-800-273-8255, available 24/7
ANMC Behavioral Health Services 907-729-2500
Monday-Friday 8am-5pm -set up appointments for therapy
NSHC Behavior Health Services 907-443-3344
Monday-Friday 8am-5pm
After hours, weekends 907-443-6411