Teachers, Administrators Explore Indigenous Women’s Resource Center
Wolf Point Native American studies teacher Tressa Welch has teamed up with high school principal Kim Hanks and counselor Erin Loendorf to extend underutilized resources like the National Indigenous Womens Resource Center to staff and students in Wolf Point.
“We’re working together to create a better environment for our students,” said Welch. According to their website, NIWRC is a Native-led nonprofit organization dedicated to ending violence against Native women and children. The group provides national leadership in ending gender- based violence in tribal communities by lifting up the collective voices of grassroots advocates and offering culturally grounded resources, technical assistance, training and policy development.
Welch told the Northern Plains Independent that she has focused her efforts on extending resources like NIWRC to female staff and students. She said traditional Native cultural instruction is often separated into gendered categories. Jeromy Azure Jr. teaches Native languages at the school. Welch said Azure is able to focus on male staff and students when tackling some traditional subject matter.
Welch said information about NIWRC’s services and resources were shared with female staff at the junior high and high school.
“We want the teachers to be familiar with NIWRC first,” said Welch. She said that staff and administrators will be better able to help identify female students in need and extend assistance.
Said the group’s website, “NIWRC staff and consultants develop and produce culturally appropriate resources to support Tribes, Tribal programs and advocates working on issues of violence against Native women.”
NIWRC resources include webinars, special collections, booklets, fact sheets, research papers, videos, toolkits, reports and training curriculum and materials. For more information, visit niwrc.org or contact Welch at 653-1200.
