Indian Health Service is Awakening the Spirit to Provide Domestic Violence Awareness, Prevention, and Healing Efforts in Indian Country.

Her Lakota name at birth was Wa Wokiye Win, means “Woman Who Helps Everyone.” Tillie Black Bear was more than just a Native woman from Rosebud, South Dakota. She was known for her grace, strength, resiliency, activism, and dedication to making a positive impact and raising awareness about domestic violence across Indian country. In the 1970’s, she sought and lobbied for funding to launch a coalition to end domestic and sexual violence. Her work did not end there, as she also established the first domestic violence shelter for Native women in the country.

Tillie Black Bear’s dedication to raising domestic violence awareness and prevention efforts is far reaching and continues to make a lasting impact for Native communities. One of her family members currently serves as a forensic nurse examiner at Rosebud Hospital, providing medical forensic care to individuals impacted by domestic and sexual violence. During a recent site visit to the Great Plains Area, a nurse stated, “Tillie is the reason why I got into this field and [is a] solid reminder of why I keep going.” Another nurse shared that they named their bison hide hanging on their wall after Tillie Black Bear, which helps calm and ground patients when they arrive at the clinic for a medical forensic examination.     

Domestic Violence is abusive behavior that can include physical, sexual, emotional, and financial abuse, as well as stalking, coercion, and displaying power and control over a spouse, an intimate partner, parent, child, extended family, or truly anyone in a domestic relationship.

Violence is and continues to be a healthcare issue and it often disproportionally impacts remote, rural areas that lack health resources. In fact, the National Institute for Justice reported that more than 1.4 million American Indian and Alaska Native men (82 percent) and more than 1.5 million AI/AN women (84%) have experienced violence in their lifetime. As this year marks the 30^th Anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act, the Indian Health Service is calling upon an awakening spirit to help put an end to not only domestic violence, but all violent crimes. We encourage you to do the same!

Learn more about the IHS Forensic Healthcare program and efforts to end gender-based violence by visiting the following IHS webpages:

• Forensic Healthcare webpages
• IHS Response to the U.S. National Plan to End Gender-Based Violence
• Domestic Violence Prevention (DVP)

Helpful resources and tools:

• IHS, Indian Health Manual, Part 3, Chapter 31: Intimate Partner Violence
• A National Protocol for Intimate Partner Violence Medical Forensic Examinations - A National Protocol for Intimate Partner Violence Medical Forensic Examinations (safeta.org).
• StrongHearts Native Helpline:
  • StrongHearts Native Helpline | Home (strongheartshelpline.org)
  • 1-844-7NATIVE (762-8483)
• National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center: Welcome | NIWRC 
• National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV): DVAM Campaign 2024: DVAM 2024: #Ever1KnowsSome1
• National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRCDV): Domestic Violence Awareness Project
  • DVAM 2024: Heal, Hold & Center | Domestic Violence Awareness Project (dvawareness.org)
• National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV): The Nation's Leading Grassroots Voice on Domestic Violence (ncadv.org)
• National Domestic Violence Hotline: National Domestic Violence Hotline (thehotline.org)
  • Call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
  • TTY 1−800−787−3224 or (206) 518-9361 (Video Phone Only for Deaf Callers)