Thread by @karlajstrand

I’m attending WI 2020 Victory’s event, “WI Roundtable to Discuss the Violence Against Women Act and Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women” – sign up now to join me! mobilize.us/wi2020victory/… #mmiw #mmiwg #vawa #wisdems

Arvina Martin @Arvina4WI introduces Rep. Beth Meyers, and @beth_rep introduces @HeidiHeitkamp. All acknowledge and honor the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She would want us to continue the fight to protect women. #MMIW #MMIWG #RIPRBG

Heitkamp: VAWA passing was a collaborative effort. Led by Democrats, supported by some Republicans. COngress failed to reauthorize the act. Why? Fight about: Are we going to include LGBTQ+? How will we show up in unique situation of Indigenous/Tribal women?

Heitkamp: Hung up now bc Republicans refuse to recognize the humanity and unique needs of LGBTQ and Indigenous women and kids. Many Native women are simply forgotten by GOP lawmakers. We must provide action for Native women on reservations and off.

Heitkamp: Biden and Dems will move this issue forward and recognize and honor the unique situations and needs of Native American women in the US.

Paula Phillips @MPDBP introduces other panelists. Stacey Schreiber Schinko, founder of Justice for Kozee is now speaking about her own experiences of violence in her life. Her relative Kozee Decorah was killed in Nebraska in May. #mmiw #mmiwg

Schinko: We pay too much attention to the past life of MMIWG. It is never their fault, it doesn't matter what their past is, they are human beings. She was a mother, sister, daughter, friend, she is loved and missed.

Schinko: We must continue fighting for those affected by MMIW as if these women and girls are our own mothers, daughters, children. Hoping people will stop blaming the victims in these situations. The focus should be on their humanity. #mmiw

Schinko: It is so challenging for women to leave violent situations. We can't blame them, we must fight for them and the families left behind. #MMIW

Rachel Fernandez, Sturgeon Woman, from the Bear Clan of the Menomonee, is next up. She is an organizer and advocate for decades. Uses #MMIR missing and murdered Indigenous Relatives to include men, boys, Two Spirit people. #nomorestolensisters #mmiw

Fernandez: Must acknowledge right to self-determine, especially when they are telling their stories. They need to stand in their truths and be heard and acknowledged. Need to bring everyone together and access to better resources, policy, and data. #mmiw #mmiwg

Fernandez: The data is incorrect and lacking in part due to underreporting. Murder is the third highest cause of death among Native women. The crisis of #mmiw #mmiwg #mmir is about patterns and a refusal to see what is necessary to change/stop them.

Fernandez: Need sovereignty reform to fight colonization. Nothing will bring relatives back but it is necessary to know that people care, that they are heard. Native women often don't get acknowledgment from people, media, communities at large. #mmiw #mmiwg

Fernandez: VAWA must be inclusive. Must look at the root causes of violence against Native women. #mmiw #mmiwg

Ashley Jordanne Berman Kinney is a feminist activist and attorney who specialized in domestic violence cases. She is now a FT feminist writer and activist. Founded Feminist Activists of Lake Country. #mmiw #mmiwg

Kinney: We've come a long way but we have even longer to go especially re: Indigenous women. Must renew VAWA with increased protections for Indigenous women, girls, and relatives.

Meyers: Co-founded WI #MMIW Task Force. WI's bill wasn't taken up by the senate. Promises to continue to work on this issue. Please keep telling your stories because we are encouraged by them.

Schinko: Biden must pass expanded VAWA in first 100 days. The criminal justice system must be changed so that her relatives will be protected as she would as a white-passing Indigenous woman. There is continued pain and violence in the fighting for acknowledgment and justice.

Schinko: Regards herself as lucky that she received Kozee's remains, many don't have that blessing. They laid Kozee to rest yesterday after four months of her remains being held as evidence. Some families have been waiting for decades. #mmiw #mmiwg

Schinko: Hoping #VAWA is renewed on @JoeBiden's first day. It will take all of us working together to make this happen. It takes a village and we need to come together for justice.

Fernandez: Does this work for her families. We need allyship and people to use their privilege for good. Take the risk and do right. If Biden is elected, believe he will do it but we must hold him to it. Need #MMIW families at the table.

Schinko: Katelyn Kelley has been missing since June 16 from Menominee Reservation in WI. greenbaypressgazette.com/story/news/202… #mmiw #mmiwg

Schinko: When you don't know where your relative is, it is constant heartbreak. Even when the body is recovered, so many answers remain. How do we not know what happened? Why does it take so long? Why do the killers go free?

Heitkamp: We won't need to educate Biden on why women don't leave violent situations. We won't need to convince he and Sen. Harris that Native American people have unique oppressions and challenges. We need a national strategy for when a woman goes missing.

Heitkamp: We need to respond to these situations immediately. We need a network of supporters. We need resources to do this work and legal protections. Think about RBG today, how do we honor her? How do we honor Kozee? We must honor them with our vote and our actions.

Great panel. So grateful for all of the women who spoke. Thanks to @HeidiHeitkamp @mpdbp @joeforwisconsin And especially Stacey Schreiber Schinko and Rachel Fernandez. #wiwomenforbiden

After this, I'm recommitting to using my platforms and privileges to participate in this work. I've only done a little thus far. I am currently moving my #MMIW Resource Guide from my website to it's own platform because of the traffic it gets.

Current link is karlajstrand.com/2018/05/05/mis…

Here is the new link. mmiwresources.org
There is still much more work to be done with moving all of the resources over to this new platform but it's a start. #mmiw #mmiwg #mmiwg2s #mmir #nomorestolensisters

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