April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month

Osage Nation Counseling Center hosting candlelight vigil for victims

Osage Nation, Pawhuska, Okla. (Mar. 27, 2015)—The Osage Nation Counseling Center is hosting a candlelight vigil on Thursday, April 9, 2015 for all victims of sexual assault. April is designated Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and the facts about this crime are startling. RAINN, as it is commonly called, stands for Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, and is the largest anti-sexual assault organization in the United States. RAINN reports that the “lifetime rate of rape/attempted rape” for Native America/Alaskan women is 34.1 percent and this is the highest percentage among any race. And sexual assault is not limited to just women, but also includes about 3 percent of American men which is 1 in 33 as well as children. RAINN reports that adolescents make up 15 percent of sexual assault and rape victims; all under the age of twelve.

The Osage Nation Counseling Center will be holding the candlelight vigil to show respect and to bring awareness to this crime which can have lifelong effects upon the victims. RAINN sadly shows that victims of sexual assault are:

  • 3 times more likely to suffer from depression
  • 6 times more likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder
  • 13 times more likely to abuse alcohol
  • 26 times more likely to abuse drugs
  • 4 times more likely to contemplate suicide

The candlelight vigil will be held at The Gazebo located at 700 Lynn Avenue in Pawhuska at 7:30pm. This is located on the north side of the Osage County Historical Society Museum.

Speakers will include Osage Nation Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear. Also speaking will be Dawn Stover (Cherokee), who is the executive director of Native Alliance Against Violence. NAAV is Oklahoma’s only tribal domestic and sexual violence coalition.

To learn more about the resources available, if you are a victim or you know someone who is, please contact: Osage Nation Counseling Center at www.osagenation-nsn.gov or 918- 287-5422; 24-hour crisis line is 1-800-897-4747.

Other contacts:

NAAV can be located on their Facebook page and at Oklahomanaav.org.

RAINN can be also be located on Facebook and online at rainn.org.

Also to report sexual assault crimes always call 9-1-1.

For media inquiries, contact Osage Nation Communications at 918- 287-5599.