Last Credo we talked about how our culture is a breeding ground for rape and what to do about “rape culture”. We discussed the portrayal of one gender being weaker than the other. We also talked about how young people, especially males are pressured into seeking sexual experience as a measure of self worth, of what it means to be a man. How do you be there for the victim while making sure the accused receives proper due process. How do you maintain un-biased when you find such a situation between two people you would trust without hesitation? These are some of the things we talked about and which may be the subject for our next Credo session- but which may be subject to change. If you have not yourself been a victim you likely know someone who has and the discussion was not without some very personal feelings, memories and struggles. It was pointed out that men are also raped from time to time and that men’s shelters are often nonexistent. It was also brought up that many shelters, while they do infact provide shelter are tainted by social taboo, with women often being directly or indirectly encouraged to go back to there abusers. Arguments such as “God’s disapproval of divorce” and “you can change him”. Lastly we talked about how in many tribal cultures the women, especially the elders are the family and can and how raping the women of the clan dis-empowers a whole people are already struggling to maintain some sense of identity.
There are no words here to explain the impact rape has on not only victims but their families, rippling out across many generations- and so, for entry I would would like to share a video with all of you.
To The Indigenous Woman Long Format, Poem by 1491s
