University opens sexual assault prevention program on Pine Ridge

Peaceful Means is hoping to reduce sexual violence on Pine Ridge by up to 80 percent

A new program, Peaceful Means, is using Lakota values to teach youth about sexual violence and prevention on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota and hopes to reduce sexual violence by up to 80 percent. 

Based in the Wakpamni district of Pine Ridge, Peaceful Means is an Indigenous-led sexual violence prevention center. This initiative was created through a $3.2 million grant from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a partnership with IMpower United. 

After the center opened this past fall, organizers began to travel to different schools and community centers across Pine Ridge to teach youth about how they can use their voices and set healthy boundaries. 

Indigenous people experience sexual violence at a rate 2.5 times higher than other groups, and one in three Indigenous women report being raped in their lifetime. Many victims are too scared to come forward with their experiences or report sexual violence to law enforcement, according to the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence. 

On a local level, one in four Indigenous people in Western South Dakota have reported some kind of sexual harassment or assault in the past six months, according to a survey conducted by Peaceful Means staff.

Peaceful Means uses IMpower programming. IMpower was adapted for Indigenous girls and women, and programming seeks to reduce victimization and improve sexual assault resistance skills and self-defense knowledge. Surveys conducted by the National Institute of Justice found that IMpower programming can lead to reduced rates of sexual violence on reservations. 

“It’s really exciting. There’s nothing else like this in the country,” Peaceful Means principal investigator and UNL Psychology Professor Katie Edwards said. 

The center hopes to reduce sexual violence among Indigenous people throughout the United States, starting in South Dakota. IMpower programming will provide all Indigenous youth, kindergarten through high school, with culturally adapted initiatives and lessons. 

Students are also taught the importance of telling people what happened to them and not stopping until they’re believed. Lessons also focus on self-defense, respecting boundaries and treating others with respect. 

Throughout these lessons, Lakota culture is ingrained into the different aspects of IMpower programming. All teachers are Lakota community members. Being from the community is an advantage. It allows for teachers to better understand the community and have a solid understanding of the culture. 

“The Lakota teachings are done through prayer and through the way you conduct yourself, how you treat other people,” said Tony Walking, Oglala Lakota and the IMpower director of special operations. “That’s what our young instructors are teaching and it’s so exciting, you can see it in their eyes.” 

Youth are taught how to use their voices, how to say no, and how to defend themselves. Programming is tailored to the age group being taught and gender.

The kindergarten through fifth-grade lessons are focused on bodily autonomy, understanding the importance of setting boundaries, what to do if someone is violating your boundaries and how to say no. 

“It’s not just about teaching kids these skills, it’s about connecting them to their culture and empowering them,” Edwards said. “A lot of these kids feel like they don’t have a lot of agency in their lives and it makes them feel powerless.” 

Middle school through high school lessons are separated by gender. Girls are taught verbal and physical self-defense skills and lessons on boundaries. Boys are taught about healthy masculinity including cultural lessons on masculinity. Boys are also taught about the importance of consent.

“It’s truly a blessing to be a part of this team,” said lead trainer Steve Wilson, Oglala Lakota. “I love seeing light turn on inside of our youth when they are in our classes. There is nothing like seeing our youth understand that they are important and that they are powerful.”

Many youths coming into the program and even some instructors are survivors themselves. While IMpower primarily focuses on prevention, there are also self-care lessons given. 

Education emphasizes the importance of breaking the stigma and shame surrounding being a sexual assault survivor. 

A new grant with Survivors in Recovery Anonymous will allow for IMpower programming to include survivor talking circles, recovery meetings and different groups for age and gender. Peaceful Means is hoping to launch this initiative in early 2024. 

Peaceful Means is planning on hosting IMpower lessons during the Lakota Nation Invitational on Dec. 12-16. Organizers previously held a booth in October during the annual Black Hills Powwow. 

“It’s groundbreaking. We’re making history here. We’re changing history here,” Walking said. 

Dateline:

RAPID CITY, S.D.