"To the Indigenous Women" Seeks to Do Something about Violence Against Native Women

Levi Rickert, editor-in-chief in Native Challenges. Discussion »

Don't be Silent - Pass it On

HELENA, MONTANA - Earlier this week, the Indian Law Resource Center, released a short, yet powerful and provocative, video called "To the Indigenous Woman." The video was produced to raise awareness and to take action against one of the most horrific epidemics facing Indian Country today - violence against Native women.

… We Fail Them

The voice over narrative begins with "To the Indigenous women, I am sorry we have not fought harder for you… " and continues for three minutes and fifteen seconds with a compelling message "do something" about violence against Native women.

"This issue is really a human rights issue of what is happening in the United States to our Native women," said Ginny Underwood, Comanche and Kiowa, who serves as the communications director at the Indian Law Resource Center.

Part of organization's mission statement reads: The Indian Law Resource Center mission seeks to overcome the grave problems that threaten Native peoples by advancing the rule of law, by establishing national and international legal standards that preserve their human rights and dignity, and by challenging the governments of the world to accord justice and equality before the law to all indigenous peoples of the Americas.

The video was created by Thomas Ryan Red Corn, owner and operator of Buffalo Nickel Creative, wrote, filmed, edited and narrated video. He is a part of a larger group that produces videos called 1491s.

"There are about a half dozen people I know who have been directly affected by this issue. They are friends of mine and they knew they can trust me," commented Red Corn, Osage. "I was able to write the lyrics from the experiences my friends told me."

Underwood and Red Corn, both, emphasized the importance of the reauthorization the Violence Against Women Act and ensuring the Act is amended with the Stand Against Violence and Empower Native Women (SAVE Native Women) Act.

updated 12:59 pm est; posted November 11, 2011 12:20 pm est