NAUHZCASA FV (Navajo, Apache, Ute, Hopi, Zuni Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Family Violence

Mission Statement: “To empower Native communities, prevent sexual violence and family violence. We are a multidisciplinary group organized to support services, coordinate care, promote justice and healing for survivors of sexual violence on the Navajo, Apache, Ute, Hopi, Zuni Nations and their partners, collaborators and agencies.” Purpose. Began (2009) with the founding Mothers: Sandra Dodge, Ursula Knoki-Wilson and Rosemary Bolza who identified the lack of care for SA victims. As the group has expanded in its membership/Tribes, it also has expanded its recognition of what types of care are lacking to SA victims; including victim’s families/communities. This amazing group of over 200 providers, community members, survivors, responders and advocates across many disciplines but all who hold some level of work within Tribal communities in the four corner states has been meeting continuously throughout the years. I am the current facilitator of these meetings and point person for the group and was handed this duty from the long line of amazing women/Mothers who carried this work and endured the many adventures to get it to where we are today. It is my hope to share with Colorado advocates the history of this group and uplift the resiliency that is woven within our most complex communities, Tribal. Time and time again efforts have fallen short in meeting us where we are in our homelands, it is our hope that by introducing this effort to more wider audiences and potential partnerships we are expanding what we lovgingly refer to as the network of care that envelopes and follows survivors, their families and community. Our greatest strength is one another and the solidarity of standing together across disciplines and Nations keeps our passion renewed and sustained.