Examining the Intersection of Stalking, Trafficking, and the MMIW Crisis
Join us in May for this session that highlights Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Month.
A recent federal Government Accountability Office report confirms the high rates of violence against Indigenous women is a crisis in the United States. Indigenous women are disproportionately affected by stalking, where one out of two Native women have been stalked in their lifetime. Each year, thousands become victims of human trafficking. However, Indigenous women and Native LGBTQ2S relatives are especially at risk of human trafficking and sex trafficking compared to other populations. These crimes are part of the larger spectrum of violence perpetrated against Indigenous women, creating a social climate that allows the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women to continue. This discussion will examine the intersection of stalking, trafficking and the MMIW crisis.
TRAINER:
Tanya Grassel- Krietlow, Grant Manager of the FAST Grant, South Dakota Network Against Family Violence & Sexual Assault
Tanya, an enrolled member of the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, and her younger twin brother and sister spent their early years on their grandparent’s farm in Eastern South Dakota. The farm was idyllic with red Herefords grazing on green grass, horses, chickens, and a big garden flanked with petunias and marigolds. Tanya, the twins and their mom relocated to the Lower Brule Reservation, where her mom grew up and her family remained. Tanya quickly adapted to prairie dog towns, longhorn/Charolais cattle, and the challenges of trying to garden in gumbo. From then on, Tanya has navigated living in two worlds and embraced every life experience on and off the reservation.
Tanya has two grown children, daughter Molly and son Dalton. Tanya is married to a real-life Daniel Boone named Kurt who hunts and fishes as hard as he works. The family enjoys all things outdoors and has had lots of wonderful adventures together.
Tanya has been privileged to work with Native Americans and their families for over 30 years. She has had experiences in human services, education, law enforcement, grants management, and direct services; most of her focus has been in Indian Country. Tanya currently works for the South Dakota Network Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault as a grants manager and works primarily with tribal partners across South Dakota.
