NHA WOMEN'S CONFERENCE PROVIDES AWARENESS ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE - 08-26-24

WINDOW ROCK—The August 22 NHA Women’s Conference brought together tenants, staff, and guest speakers for a day filled with empowerment and cultural appreciation at the Navajo Nation Museum.

The Ft. Defiance Housing Management Office hosted the confab and housing specialist Nancy Begay said the event was funded by the NHA Crime Prevention and Housing Services Program.

“This was one of the events that I planned for this year,” she said.

William Scott, property manager, provided the welcome address and said the conference was part of the strategic planning goals for the year.

“One of our goals was to increase partnerships and you are benefitting from the partnerships that we are creating,” he said to the 65 female tenants in attendance.

Be good neighbors to one another, he encouraged, adding that good neighbors look out for one another as opposed to disputing.

Domestic violence awareness

Leighsah Brown, project coordinator for the Department of Family Services, provided the first presentation on domestic violence awareness and prevention.

She began by defining domestic violence as a pattern of abuse behavior in any relationship that one partner uses to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner.

The behavior can range from physical abuse, sexual abuse, mental abuse, and marital rape.

“There is no hush-hush about it,” she said. “Even sexually demeaning comments like, ‘Who are you getting dressed up for?’ It’s emotional abuse.”

Threats of suicide or self-harm are other characteristics of domestic violence, including financial extortion through economic abuse.

“Comments like, ‘That’s my money,’ or ‘Give me your debit card,’ are forms of economic abuse,” she said.

Other forms of economic control include the destruction of property or getting loans on the victim’s credit.

Additionally, technological abuse also exists, she said, adding that perpetrators will track victims through GPS tracking on social media like Facebook and Snap Chat.

Sometimes, perpetrators will post provocative photos of victims online to debase and abuse their character.

Cycle of violence

“It’s the cycle of violence,” she said, adding that key indicators are physical, emotional, and psychological distress.

The honeymoon phase includes the “Navajo Nation Fair Walk,” she said, which is best described as couples clutching one another while strolling.

Next comes the tension building phase when partners feel annoyed with one another, much like a tea kettle boiling over.

Finally, an acute explosion occurs, and acts of physical and psychological violence are perpetrated against the victim.

“You get hit, you get your hair pulled, and alcohol or substance abuse is usually involved,” she said. “Then the cycle starts all over again.

“There’s no end to this cycle; you either get alive or dead,” she added.

One in three women and one in four men in the U.S. have experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner. On a typical day, domestic violence hotlines receive 19,159 calls or 13 calls every minute.

“A lot are unreported,” Brown said.

Other forms of abuse include forcing partners to have babies year after year, hickies, forced isolation, and other actions that cause low self-esteem in the victim.

Domestic violence is not a part of Navajo culture, she said, noting that was cleansed from the Diné in the third world during the separation of sexes.

“There’s no word in Navajo for I’m sorry,” she said. “Instead of saying I’m sorry, show you love because actions are stronger than words.”

Brown encouraged female tenants to respect and believe in themselves, to validate themselves and remain vigilant for the warning signs that invariably appear.

Bugout bag

Domestic violence can happen to anyone; it affects people of all socio-economic backgrounds and education levels in both opposite sex and same sex relationships.

In closing, Brown shared intimate details of her niece, Chericia Brown.

After experiencing physical and mental abuse from her partner, Chericia was hunted down by her husband and stabbed 14 times after he placed a GPS tracker on her car to find her.

“After stabbing her, Chericia’s husband drove over three people including her when he left the scene of the crime,” she said while wiping away tears.

“If you’re in a domestic violence situation, pack a ‘bugout bag’ and be ready. Learn how to defend yourself. Get yourself a gun,” she said.

Sixty-five percent of domestic violence incidents are murder-suicides.

Information: nndss.org/department-of-family-services

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