October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

TWC’s Alfred Michael, Marci Amik, and Debbie Michael are one of many staffers who tabled a Domestic Violence Awareness  information stand at the local hospital all this week, October 3 – 7. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

 

 

Please mark your calendar and join TWC for the upcoming events:

  • Wednesday, October 12 at Noon: Annual Peacewalk & Potluck. Cultural Center to TWC with soup and sandwiches
  • Friday, October 14 at 7PM: Drumming and Dance Groups at ONC Multipurpose Building
  • Tuesday, October 25 at 7pm: Candlelight Ceremony Honoring Victims and Witnesses at TWC
  • Wednesday, October 26 at 11AM: Listen to TWC’s Peacetalk Radio Show on KYUK

Video 1: When I Am An Elder

During June 2011 teens involved with TAAV and the Teens Lead Ahead youth camp had an opportunity to create 3 commercials, with funding and support through the Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. The commercials are based on a poem called “When I’m an Elder” created and written by TAAV youth around 2002. This poem has evolved into a performance piece. Youth throughout the years have added and changed lines, slowly making “When I’m an Elder” an evolving TAAV creation. This poem has been read by TAAV members at events around the Yukon-Kuskokwim region and Bethel, as well as throughout the state. Though its origins are with the TAAV program, the teens having willingly shared it with ANDVSA, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium and other groups to promote sharing their vision of their world with others in our state, as well as to allow others to contribute to the life and evolution of this powerful vision.

Teens Lead Ahead 2011

TWC hosted the first annual Teens Lead Ahead 2011 youth camp June 16-19. 30 teens from Kipnuk, Kwethluk and Napaskiak joined Bethel Teens Acting Against Violence members for 2 full days and three nights of leadership and prevention activities. This camp was a tremendous success- check out the digital story! The entire gathering was planned by teens in TAAV using the planning model of the statewide Lead On! violence prevention/leadership conference, which many of the TAAV have attended and helped plan in recent years. During the camp, youth spent one night at BABS, the second night at fish camp and the third night was a sleepover night at TWC. Katie (Baldwin) Basile and Alfred Wallace provided instruction and technical assistance on digital storytelling, there were elder talks, storyteller Gene Tagaban (who is originally from Southeast Alaska) shared performances and stories with the group at fish camp, TAAV provided a healthy relationships talk, there were suicide prevention talks, and other activities and speakers. We are excited to build on this model in future years as a youth violence prevention and leadership strategy. Community partners through the Elluatmun Partnership were critical for the positive outcomes of this camp (AVCP, ONC, YKHC, LKSD, etc.) and we thank everyone from these organizations who helped as well as the chaperones and other helping adults from the villages and Bethel. Quyana!

Jarring Fish

For two days in July, TWC shelter staff and program participants learned about the process of jarring fish from the Cooperative Extension office at KuC. Thanks to all the donations of fish TWC receives, we were able to jar three cases of salmon as well as freeze a lot of salmon for the winter. Thanks to Leah Walsh for her time spent teaching this technique at TWC!

 

Language Interpreter Training

TWC  hosted Alaska Immigration Justice Center’s Language Interpreter Project for an Introduction to Interpreting training May 31-June 2. 15 bilingual attendees spent  3 days with LIC staff learning about ethics, roles, boundaries, etc. in translating and interpreting settings. This workshop was funded with Pilot DV/SA Project funds  in conjunction with the Elluatmun Partnership.

 

Yukegtaaraat 2011

TWC hosted the 10th Annual Yukegtaaraat Celebration on April 30th, 2011. Honorees were Neva Rivers of Hooper Bay, Esther Green of Bethel and Peter Atchak of Bethel. More than 150 people attended this celebration, which honors people who have made contributions as helpers, leaders or supporters for their families, communities or the entire Y-K region. Thanks to all the businesses and organizations who were sponsors of this event, and to the dozens of people who contributed to the silent auction. We love celebrating these wonderful people who play important and vital roles in our communities throughout the Y-K region.