Assembly Bill 548 and Senate Bill 493*, which would create a task force on missing and murdered tribal women and girls, were introduced into the Wisconsin legislature on October 14 and referred to Assembly and Senate committees for further consideration. This is an important first step!
Why These Bills are Important:
Homicide is the third leading cause of death for Indigenous Women. More than half of Native American women report having been raped or assaulted. The media have largely been silent or, worse, blamed the victims. It is time to shine a light on this atrocity, and come together to work to end it.
Next step: Legislative hearings!
Join the women of Menīkānaehkem in contacting these committee chairs and asking them to hold hearings on these bills:
Rep. Rob Swearingen, Chair, Assembly Committee on State Affairs
(608) 366-7141 or (888) 534-0034 Fax: (608) 266-3634 Rep.Swearingen@legis.wisconsin.gov [⇐ click to send email]
Room 123 West
State Capitol
PO Box 8953
Madison, WI 53708
Sen. Duey Strobel, Chair, Senate Committee on Government Operations, Technology and Consumer Protection
(608) 266-7513 Fax: (608) 282-3560 Sen.Stroebel@legis.wisconsin.gov [⇐ click to send email]
Room 18 South
State Capitol
PO Box 7882
Madison, WI 53707
Help spread the word: Download and share the attached flyer.
* These bills were drafted by Renee Gralewicz, professor of anthropology and Native American Studies at UW-Fox Valley and a peacemaker of the Brothertown Indian Nation of Fond du Lac; and Lisa Hurst, Native Peoples Outreach Advocate at Reach Counseling in Oshkosh, and a member of the Oneida Nation.
Wisconsin State Capitol, Room 412 East, 2 E Main St, Madison
The Wisconsin State Assembly has scheduled a hearing Wednesday on AB 548, which would create a task force on missing/murdered tribal women and girls. This hearing is an important next step in authorizing and creating the task force!
Come to Madison on Wednesday, March 4, to show your support for the bill.
The primary purpose of this task force is to reduce violence against Indigenous women, resolve and identify systemic causes and contributing factors of violence, and identify the root causes of gender-based violence against Indigenous people.
This series of webinars is dedicated to finding solutions for missing and murdered indigenous women within Wisconsin through indigenous-led grassroots movements and collaboration across systems.
The same program will be offered at 3 different times, limited to 100 participants each:
This series of webinars is dedicated to finding solutions for missing and murdered indigenous women within Wisconsin through indigenous-led grassroots movements and collaboration across systems.
The same program will be offered at 3 different times, limited to 100 participants each:
This series of webinars is dedicated to finding solutions for missing and murdered indigenous women within Wisconsin through indigenous-led grassroots movements and collaboration across systems.
The same program will be offered at 3 different times, limited to 100 participants each:
As part of their efforts to shine a light on missing and murdered indigenous women (MMIW), our allies at Menīkānaehkem are asking for the support of ESTHER members and friends to:
Sign and circulate this petition regarding the murder of 22-year old Kozee Montana Featherstone Medicinetop Decorah. The petition asks that the charges against the alleged perpetrator be increased from manslaughter to second-degree murder, that five additional charges be added, and that he not be released on bail.
Contact the US Attorneys assigned to the case by mail, email or phone (contact info at Read more below) to urge that the charges be modified.
Why are we asking? On May 15th, 2020, Kozee Decorah celebrated her 3-month sobriety anniversary and was working hard to move back home to Wisconsin in the coming months. The very next day she was murdered in Winnebago, Nebraska, by her fiancé, Jonathan Daniel Rooney, who then mutilated her body.
On June 1, 2020, Rooney was charged with MANSLAUGHTER OCCURRING IN INDIAN COUNTRY for the death of Kozee Decorah – a minimal charge given the severity of the killing and the subsequent mutilation of her body.
Recognized nationally as the original and leading recovery offering of its kind, CCAR’s Recovery Coach Academy is an innovative new approach to healing people’s lives that is unlike any other training. This training provides 30 CEUs awarded from the Connecticut Certification Board and recognized in WI.
The training will take place digitally via Adobe Connect on Sept 14-18, 2020, from 11:00 am-3:00 pm daily, with additional pre-work assigned daily. (Click here to review the minimum computer system requirements to participate in the training.)
The cost of the training is $200 and includes access to all 5 days of the training, 1 RCA Manual and 30 CEUs. The training is being offered at a reduced cost in part because of grants and other generous contributions. (This training typically costs $850.)
This training is being hosted by ESTHER in partnership with Menīkānaehkem and presented by Helios Recovery Services.
Once registered and paid, participants will be asked to create an account on the CCAR Protraxx training system to track attendance and administer the certificate of competition.
For additional information regarding registration, please contact Bill Van Lopik
For information regarding the training, Protraxx, or Helios Recovery please contact Jesse Heffernan: jheffernan@heliosrecovery.com
Appleton Memorial Park, 1620 E Witzke Blvd, Appleton
The Native Justice Coalition, Menīkānaehkem, and ESTHER regret to announce we will be canceling our talking circles in Appleton due to the rise in COVID-19 cases in the Menominee Nation, Fox Valley, and the surrounding area. We will not be rescheduling these events in 2020, but plan on doing work in the Menominee Nation and Fox Valley in 2021.
Join members of Menīkānaehkem, the Native Justice Coalition and ESTHER in talking together about racial justice.
Update: Both events will be held at Memorial Park in Appleton.
(The similar event planned for Menīkānaehkem in Gresham on October 2 has been moved to the Appleton location due to COVID-19 restrictions on the Menominee Reservation.)
This event will be held outside, and community agreements will be in place that follow the CDC and State of Wisconsin COVID-19 safety guidelines.
Travel assistance is available. Gift cards and lunch are provided.
Please see attached agenda for more information about the event.
Assembly Bill 548 and Senate Bill 493*, which would create a task force on missing and murdered tribal women and girls, were introduced into the Wisconsin legislature on October 14 and referred to Assembly and Senate committees for further consideration. This is an important first step!
Why These Bills are Important:
Vigil in honor and memory of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls.
The Wisconsin State Assembly has scheduled a hearing Wednesday on AB 548, which would create a task force on missing/murdered tribal women and girls. This hearing is an important next step in authorizing and creating the task force!
This series of webinars is dedicated to finding solutions for missing and murdered indigenous women within Wisconsin through indigenous-led grassroots movements and collaboration across systems.
As part of their efforts to shine a light on missing and murdered indigenous women (MMIW), our allies at Menīkānaehkem are asking for the support of ESTHER members and friends to:
The CCAR Recovery Coach Academy© (RCA) is a 5-day intensive training academy designed to provide individuals with an understanding of both the art and science of recovery coaching. The Recovery Coach Academy includes core competencies for recovery coaches with training on ethics, boundaries, medication-assisted treatment, gambling, and more. By focusing on the goals of the individuals being served, participants will learn the key fundamentals of this rewarding work – which CCAR has identified as actively listening, asking really good questions, and treating people as their own best resource, all while discovering and managing their own stuff.
Join members of Menīkānaehkem, the Native Justice Coalition and ESTHER in talking together about racial justice.
