Nations Rising
Our Mission is to defend the sacred by remembering our own power to live happy, healthy and free – as protectors of turtle island.
Suicide, violence, assault and addiction are epidemic across tribal communities. [National research has shown that childhood trauma is an underlying cause of many disparities including substance abuse, domestic violence, diabetes, heart disease, early death and much more.] However, unfortunately, one recent study has found that support services and especially preventative services are fragmented or even missing throughout the tribal nations.
Today, on the reservation where my relatives live life expectancy is 48 years for men and 52 years for women, much less for the 15-25 year-olds who make up the 40% that die by suicide. One in three Native American women report rape [as reported in the publication A Case for Hope by Native Hope]. These are only the reported cases… of 233 native women who received self-defense training on one reservation, 100% of them had experienced assault.
Our Response
Lindsey Louise, Oglala Lakota, in guidance by community leaders such as All Tribes in Recovery and the Longest Walk, has begun to build a preventative program to address violence against women by teaching self defense.
Lindsey leads self defense workshops, as mentored by her sensei, Master Heidi Sarmiento-Wilson, available to all. In these workshops, protectors learn a practical set of skills to be able to keep and share within their own communities. Participants who know of a need for further instruction within their communities have the option to apply for scholarship. The scholarship provides an avenue for a community advocate to invite our experienced trainers to customize a training program with them and support its development into a strong, impactful community.