By Kayla Woody, House of Hope DVPI Prevention Specialist
Red is the color of strength, power and success — the color of the earth and mountains. Its boldness breaths life and direction into Native people. It also shows the bad with the good as the color of violence and wounds, representing the hurt and pain that our women and young girls experience.
Nearly 85 percent of all Native women experience violence, and red is the chosen color to represent those that go missing and murdered. It’s not only used to represent the many hearts broken by the loss of these stolen sisters but also to show just how sacred the women of our tribes are. May 5 is the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Native Women and Girls — a day to call back these missing spirits of our women and children so they can be laid to rest.
The CPN House of Hope wants to help bring acknowledgment to the #MMIW movement and educate the community about this plague of violence targeting our Native women and children. We aim to help build resistance to the normalization of this violence and actively change the mindset of our society.
The cycle can be broken with perseverance and determination.
If you or someone you know is experiencing intimate partner violence, stalking, and/or sexual assault and would like more information, please contact the House of Hope at 405-275-3176 or visit us online at facebook.com/cpnhouseofhope.
