Posted 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2, 2014
A professor at the William Mitchell College of Law who advocates for victims of domestic abuse will give a keynote address as part of an Indigenous Peoples’ Day event.
A professor at the William Mitchell College of Law who advocates for victims of domestic abuse will give a keynote address as part of an Indigenous Peoples’ Day event at 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 13. The event has been moved from UW-L’s Cameron Hall of Nations, Centennial Hall, to the Graff Main Hall Auditorium, (260 Graff Main Hall). Admission is free.
Sarah Deer will present “Decolonizing the Rape Law: A Native Feminist Synthesis of Safety & Sovereignty.” A citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation of Oklahoma, Deer plans to talk about how criminal jurisdiction in Indian country is a complex area of federal Indian law. The Violence Against Women Act of 2013 will change the scope of protection for American Indian victims of domestic violence, closing significant gaps in the justice system and expanding the authority of tribal courts to prosecute domestic violence crimes committed against Native American women. This is an important step for tribal governments, increasing their authority to protect their citizens and a milestone toward resilience and healing for domestic violence victims.
Indigenous Peoples’ Day, celebrated the second Monday in October, started as a counter-celebration to Columbus Day. The celebration promotes Native American culture and commemorates the history of Native American People.
The event is sponsored by the Native American Student Association; Asian, Latina, Native, African American Women of Color; New Horizons Shelter and Outreach, Inc.; the Office of Diversity and Inclusion; the Office of Multicultural Student Services; and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies.
Deer was recently recognized as one of the MacArthur Fellowship Program Award recipients, also referred to as "The Genius Award.” The 21 MacArthur fellows nationally receive a $625,000 grant to follow their creative visions. Deer’s work is related to ensuring equal access to justice for the victims of crime.
If you go —
Who: Sarah Deer
What: “Decolonizing the Rape Law: A Native Feminist Synthesis of Safety & Sovereignty”
Where: Moved from Cameron Hall of Nations, Centennial Hall, to Graff Main Hall Auditorium (260 Graff Main Hall)
When: 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 13
Admission: Free