By: Keioshiah Peter, CSVANW Native Youth Coordinator

As we begin 2019, it is extremely important to remind your relatives that the month of January is National Stalking Awareness Month and every day is a perfect opportunity to share this with someone you care about so they too can be aware of this issue. 

Many make frivolous remarks and jokes about stalking, but the reality is that type of joking normalizes sexual violence in a way that makes access to resources less acceptable to those most vulnerable, which includes Indigenous young people and our LGBTQ2S+ relatives.

CSVANW is asking for you to take a stand and join the movement against stalking in our tribal communities by educating your own relatives. Throughout this month, we are supporting national efforts and sharing information through social media to bring awareness to the crime of stalking that affects our bordertowns, Tribes, Pueblo’s, and Native Nations. 

Stalking is an action directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear.  It’s also a series of incidents that can escalate and lead to sexual and domestic violence. Stalking results from a pattern of behavior composed of two or more acts over a period of time, which could be short.^[1]  A “reasonable person” standard asks if a person in similar circumstances would be made afraid by the perpetrator’s behavior.  The victim may feel frightened, intimidated or threatened, or fear that the stalker intends to injure the victim, another person, or the property of the victim or of another person close to the victim.  The victim may also feel terrorized. For more information on specific statutes on stalking in New Mexico, visit the Stalking Resource Centerwebsite. 

We should also take serious the effects of the government shut down on our bodies and autonomy as well because it is of utmost importance right now. Literally. This ultimately means that the Violence Against Women Act which was suppose to be renewed in a clause until February 9th, 2019 with the proposed House and Senate spending deals.^[2]However, this did not happen because of the disputes between the political parties over funding a border wall to continue to separate families.  

Visit our stalking information page if you need a refresher –  chances are if you have clicked on this blog link, you are in need of a refresher. No matter where you are, or where you come from, everyone has the inherent right to be and feel safe in their own community, home, and territory. 

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^[1]Gathright, J. (2018, December 24). Violence Against Women Act Expires Because Of Government Shutdown. NPR. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/2018/12/24/679838115/violence-against-women-act-expires-because-of-government-shutdown

^[2]  Model Campus Stalking Policy, Futures Without Violence. Retrieved from https://www.futureswithoutviolence.org/userfiles/file/Children_and_Families/Model%20CAMPUS%20Stalking%20Policy%20(2).pdf