A small group of people gathered in Cortez City Park on Wednesday to draw attention to a big problem.
Representatives from Renew, Inc., Montezuma County’s domestic violence hotline, and the Ute Mountain Ute victim services program spoke about the importance of community involvement in preventing domestic violence and sexual assault. They also lit candles in honor of the victims of such crimes and spoke about why they believed in confronting the issue. Although the event was not heavily advertised or attended, the organizers said they hoped it could bring some attention to their work with victims of violence.
Cheryl Beene, director of Renew, read some statistics about assault in the U.S., including a claim from the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network that about 15 percent of assaults happen in a public place.
“We can all do something about this,” she said. “We can open our eyes, we can be vigilant, we can say ‘no.’”
She encouraged attendees to step in anytime they see someone at risk, whether due to intoxication or just being near an aggressive person. She also talked briefly about how domestic violence in a family can lead to a cycle of sexual assault and other abuse. At the end of the gathering, she spoke about Renew’s work with victims and handed out materials about the not-for-profit organization, including their phone number and address.
Gina Lopez, a victims services coordinator for the Ute Mountain Ute tribe, said the situation is much worse for Native Americans, with data from the U.S. Department of Justice showing native women are more than twice as likely to experience sexual assault than those of other ethnicities.
“It’s good to talk about things, even though in our culture, it’s hard to talk about some bad things that have happened to us,” she said. “It’s good medicine for us to expel the things that are within us. ... It’s part of healing.”
After a few attendees spoke about their experience with helping victims of abuse, Lopez burned sweetgrass and said a prayer for the community. The rest of the group tried to light candles for a moment of silence, but most of them quickly went out in the wind. Beene compared the struggling flames to a woman’s struggle to speak up about abuse.
Beene’s own group has also had its struggles with being heard. Founded in 1987, Renew is one of few organizations in Montezuma County that offer free counseling to families of those affected by domestic and sexual violence without any ties to law enforcement or government. But Beene said she often meets long-time residents who have never heard of them. She said Wednesday’s event was their first attempt in about 10 years to highlight April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month, although they typically hold a large fundraiser in October called “An Evening in Her Shoes.”
In the future, Beene said she hopes to hold more awareness events throughout the year.