Utah nonprofit launches helpline for Indigenous people experiencing domestic and sexual violence
Apr 8, 2024, 11:40 AM | Updated: 1:03 pm
TAYLORSVILLE — A new statewide helpline aimed at helping Indigenous communities with domestic and sexual violence has opened its lines.
Restoring Ancestral Winds, a Utah-based nonprofit, launched the hotline Monday morning. Utah House Minority Leader Rep. Angela Romero, D-Salt Lake City, said this has been in the works for four years.
As a Co-Chair of the Murdered and Missing Indigenous Relatives Task Force, Romero said this step forward means a major shift when looking at lives impacted. She said although the ingenious community makes up a smaller population, the rates of murder and people going missing are higher.
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“I think when we’re talking about our Indigenous communities in Utah in particular, a lot of times they’re not seen. And they were here before many of us were,” Romero said.
According to the National Violence Against Women Survey, the average annual rate of rape and sexual assault among American Indians is 3.5 times higher than other races.
She said that moving forward, several other pieces of legislation need to be passed to better protect our neighbors in Indigenous communities.
If you or someone you know is going through abuse, help is available.
- The Utah Domestic Violence Coalition operates a confidential statewide, 24-hour domestic abuse hotline at 1-800-897-LINK (5465).
- Resources are also available online at the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition website.
- YWCA Women in Jeopardy program: 801-537-8600
- Utah’s statewide child abuse and neglect hotline: 1-855-323-DCFS (3237)
- National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233
If you have experienced sexual violence, you can access help and resources by calling Utah’s 24-hour Sexual Violence Help Line at 1-801-736-4356 (English) or 1-801-924-0860 (Spanish). You can also call the Rape Recovery Center office line during office hours at 801-467-7282 or the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 for free, confidential counseling.
