HOULTON, Maine — The Maliseet Advocacy Center kicked off April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month with a tree-lighting ceremony Tuesday, April 1.
A small group of around 14 people attended the service, which featured a prayer from Tribal Elder Dayna Boyce; words of support from Tribal Chief Clarissa Sabattis and information from Maliseet Advocacy Center Director Cathy St. John.
“The Maliseet Advocacy Center staff want to thank the Chief and Tribal Council for the support that they give our program,” St. John said. “April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month — a time to bring attention to the widespread issue of sexual violence and to empower communities to take action.”
This year’s theme of “Together We Act, United We Change,” highlights the power of working together to create safer, more respectful environments for all, St. John added.
Sexual violence is any type of unwanted sexual contact – including sexual assault and rape. This can include words and actions like sexual harassment, street harassment – sometimes called “catcalling” — and nonconsensual sharing of private images, which is sometimes called “revenge porn.”
“As artificial intelligence has become more popular, some have used it to create ‘deep fake pornography,’ which is false, nonconsensual sexual imagery of real people,” St. John explained. “This is also a sexual violation. Sexual violence may or may not involve force, and the types of sexual violence considered a crime vary from state to state. Regardless of whether a form of sexual violence is considered a crime, everyone deserves to be treated with respect and have their boundaries respected.”
She offered the following statistics that sexual assault is a crisis that disproportionately impacts Native communities, with more than four out of five (84 percent) of American Indian and Alaskan Native women experiencing sexual violence in their lifetime. Native women are 2.5 times more likely than non-Native women to experience rape or sexual assault, and at least 86 percent of perpetrators are non-Native men, she explained.
“Victims often know the person who sexually assaulted them,” St. John continued. “People who commit sexual abuse can be family members, friends, romantic partners or other trusted individuals, which can further complicate the trauma experienced by the survivor. The perpetrator may use coercion, manipulation, threats or force to commit sexual violence.”
Victims should never take the blame for violence toward them. “It doesn’t matter what someone was wearing, how they were acting, if they were drinking, or what type of relationship they had with the person who abused them,” St. John said. “Everyone deserves autonomy, dignity, respect and safety.”
This is how you can support survivors: Chances are you know someone who has experienced sexual violence, even if they haven’t told you. Your words and actions can help survivors feel seen and supported and can help to shift the attitudes and beliefs of others. Sexual violence thrives when it is not taken seriously and victim blaming goes unchecked.
However, through culturally grounded healing, trauma-informed advocacy, and community-led solutions, survivors can begin to reclaim their strength, dignity, and safety. We must work together to ensure that all Native relatives are safe in every community and every circumstance. “Together We Act, United We Change”
The Center will next host a community brunch on Saturday, April 12 from 10 a.m. to noon in the Maliseet Community Center. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Door prizes will be drawn, but you must be present to win.
