MY VIEW CHAROLETTE GONZALES

Tribal leaders must help break cycle of violence

By Charlotte Gonzales

Tribal leadership carries a sacred responsibility: to protect our people, uphold our cultures and create a future where our families and communities can thrive. This means tribal leaders must confront domestic violence and stand alongside survivors, advocates and organizations working every day to prevent it.

For generations, Native people have protected our relatives, maintained our cultures and resisted systems that sought to disrupt our families and communities. We are cycle breakers since 1492. During Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we call upon tribal leaders to carry that legacy forward by standing with survivors, strengthening prevention efforts and supporting Native organizations doing this work.