With Liberty and Justice for All

Story Contributed by Ashley Hein, MA, BSW/Director Ponca Tribal Victim Services

Ponca Tribal Victim Services will collaborate with local Domestic Violence Shelter, Survivor Resource Network to host a Light the Night Memorial for Crime Victims at Ponca Lake on April 29, 2022 at 7pm. This memorial will take place at Ponca Lake in Ponca City, Oklahoma in northern Kay County. The Ponca Tribe is a federally recognized self-governing tribe, with over 3,700 enrolled members. White Eagle is the tribal jurisdiction with over 101,000 acres of land that sits 8 miles South of Ponca City. Kay County is also the home to the Kaw Nation and the Tonkawa Nation.

We anticipate many community members, survivors, and tribal citizens from all of Kay County, and the surrounding counties will attend this Memorial Honoring Crime Victims. Also in attendance will be local, state, and tribal partners. We will encourage each attendee to bring a guest that is not familiar with Crime Victims’ Rights Week. According to the 2020 Oklahoma Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board, there were 96 domestic violence related homicides in Oklahoma. Native American women are murdered at a rate 10% more than other races, and one out of three Native American women will be a victim of sexual assault in her lifetime. Ponca Tribal Victim Services will have a project team to plan the Light the Night Memorial with Survivor Resource Network and two peer counselors/survivors. The project team will coordinate and plan the event with advisement from the Ponca Nation Tribal Council, District Attorney’s Office and Dearing House, the child advocacy center in Kay County. We anticipate having approximately 250 people in attendance. We will include two local Victims of Crime and have them share their stories during the event.

Ponca Tribal Victim Services and Survivor Resource Network will set up a sign in table for the evening of the event. When participants arrive at Ponca Lake, they will sign in and be given NCVRW literature, program brochures, Victim Rights information, and other resources. The table will be decorated with National Crime Victim Rights Week (NCVRW) Theme Colors and will have a Large themed poster displayed on an easel for participants to view or take pictures beside. After signing in, participants will receive a NCVRW bag in themed colors containing a NCVRW t-shirt. There will be a large stage with local dignitaries and tribal council seating and behind them will be a displaying of state and tribal flags, NCVRW banners and decorations in theme colors. The event will start off with a Cultural Prayer by the Chairman of the Ponca Tribe, Oliver Littlecook. Throughout this memorial, there will be native drumming and singing of sacred Ponca Songs. Following the songs, Tara Tyler, Survivor Resource Network will read the Proclamation for National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. Both survivors will tell their stories and be gifted a shawl, which is Ponca Custom Tradition. Collaborative partners will be recognized by being given a certification of appreciation for their efforts in combating crime. Next, participants will be given a lighted lantern that will be released by the lake to Honor Crime Victims. A Moment of Silence before release will be given by Ponca Tribal Victim Services Advcoate, Abigail Ruff in honor of NCVRW. Lastly, there will be an opportunity for the participants to come up to the stage and share their families’ personal testimony/story. Then, finishing up the program, the drummers will drum sacred native songs to allow the participants to dance and heal from their trauma.

The Office for Victims of Crime (“OVC”) annually makes funding available for local communities to organize, host, and publicize National Crime Victims’ Rights Week events, which takes place April 24-30, 2022.

Community Awareness Projects grants are awarded through the National Association of Violence of Crime Act Assistance Administrators.

The 2022 NCVRW theme is Rights, access, equity, for all victims. This year’s theme underscores the importance of helping crime survivors find their justice by—

• enforcing victims’ rights, • expanding access to services, and • ensuring equity and inclusion for all. The Office for Victims of Crime is one of six Program Offices within the Office of Justice Programs at the U.S. Department of Justice.

OVC is committed to enhancing the Nation’s capacity to assist crime victims and to providing leadership in changing attitudes, policies, and practices to promote justice and healing for all victims of crime.

Established in 1988 through an amendment to the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) of 1984, OVC is charged by Congress with administering the Crime Victims Fund (the Fund). Through OVC, the Fund supports a broad array of programs and services that focus on helping victims in the immediate aftermath of crime and continuing to support them as they rebuild their lives. Millions of dollars are invested annually in victim compensation and assistance in every U.S. state and territory, as well as for training, technical assistance, and other capacity-building programs designed to enhance service providers’ ability to support victims of crime in communities across the Nation.