The Wabanaki Women’s Coalition (WWC) received a $16,000 grant from the First Nations Development Institute of Longmont, Colo. This funding was awarded to support the efforts of the Wabanaki Women’s Coalition to get established as a non-profit Tribal Domestic and Sexual Violence Coalition.
The mission of the group is to increase the capacity of tribal communities to respond to domestic and sexual violence, and influence tribal, national and regional systems to increase awareness, safety, justice and healing for all our relations.
The board is comprised of the Domestic and Sexual Violence Advocacy Program Director/Coordinator from each of the Wabanaki Tribal Communities; Aroostook Band of Micmac, Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, Indian Township Passamaquoddy, Penobscot Indian Nation, and Pleasant Point Passamaquoddy.
The Wabanaki Women’s Coalition is now eligible to apply for Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women, Tribal Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalition Grant. With the grant the group will hire a full time executive director to provide training and technical assistance to the five Tribal communities.
Jane Root, interim executive director for Wabanaki Women’s Coalition, remarked that the development of this tribal coalition has been a long-held dream of the tribal Domestic and Sexual Violence Advocacy Centers.
There are 16 Tribal Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalitions across the country. Root said the Wabanaki Women’s Coalition is eager to be at the table with other local, state and national stakeholders, to be part of the solution to end domestic and sexual violence. For more information about the Wabanaki Women’s Coalition contact Root by email at wabanakiwomenscoalition@gmail.com.
