Principal Chief signs proclamation to support “National Stalking Awareness Month”
Olivia “Libbi” Gray, the director of the Family Violence Prevention Program attended the signing
Pawhuska, Okla. (Tuesday, January 10, 2017)--(Left to right) Director of Operations, Casey Johnson, Principal Chief Standing Bear , Family Violence Prevention Program Directior, Olivia Gray, discussed what the proclamation was about and examples of how victims are stalked.
Pawhuska, OK, (January 10, 2017) — On Tuesday, Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear signed a proclamation for the Osage Nation in support of January as National Stalking Awareness Month. Olivia “Libbi” Gray, Osage Nation Family Violence Prevention Program Director, approached the Osage Nation Office of the Chiefs about signing the proclamation to demonstrate the Nation’s efforts to create awareness about the life threatening dangers of stalking and services provided the Nation to help victims.
Gray said, “Any time we can bring awareness to stalking, sexual assault, that is needed, because we know that those things are happening to Native women at a higher rate. As a tribe we need to let our people know that the Nation supports this effort.”
Chief Standing Bear expressed his support for creating awareness about the dangers of stalking. He said, “I spent many years in court rooms in Osage County every Monday morning [working] the domestic protective order docket. Many of those protective orders involve stalking. It is a real live threat to women and sometimes to men. I can’t tell you how to avoid it but it is a problem that we need to address immediately.”
The National Stalking Awareness Month campaign was developed by The National Center for Victims of Crimes and continues in partnership with the Office on Violence Against Women and the U.S. Department of Justice. For more information about the campaign or to promote awareness, visit stalkingawarenessmonth.org.
OSAGE NATION FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION MISSION STATEMENT:
“To empower those seeking our services with the tools they need to rebuild their lives and become the strong individuals they were created to be; to effect social change through outreach and education in order to put an end to intergenerational violence; and to partner with state, county, and tribal court systems and law enforcement to hold perpetrators accountable for their crimes.”
For more information visit www.osagenation-nsn.gov or call Director Olivia Gray at 918-287-5425.