Our Sister’s Keeper Coalition (OSKC), founded in May 2006, by a group of community members of the three populations (Native American, Latina, and Anglo) who were survivors of Domestic Violence and/or Sexual Assault. Diane Millich, the Founder and Executive Director, is a Southern Ute Indian Tribal member born and raised on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation located in Ignacio, Colorado. The Board of Directors is comprised of seven individuals from Durango, Ignacio, Towaoc and Bayfield, Colorado.
OSKC is designed to understand that Native American communities have different cultures, strengths and needs. These cultural, strengths and needs. These cultural nuances impact how individuals think and behave when involved with Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, Dating Violence and Stalking. Although OSKC is a Tribal Coalition and has an emphasis to working with Native American victims, the commitment is to honor all individuals and their families experiencing violence, regardless of race, gender, age, creed, or religion, by creating an enviroment that respects diverse traditions, experiences, and languages.
Group of Ute women and children
OSKC understands that people do no respond in the same way and that it is important to communicate in culturally appropriate manners. By being open to the spiritual needs, acculturation of each individual and empathy allows victims become survivors by reaching long term self and financial sufficiency. OSKC has extensive experience with the populations of Native American, Latino, Two-Spirited (Lesbian/Gay/Queer/Transgendered/Bisexual) female defendants, youth, seniors, individuals with disabilities, Immigrants, cross cultures and all cultures as well as bilingualism.
OSKC embraces diversity and uses it to implement an inclusive program. Not only does our inclusive program have diverse advocates but, more importantly, it has a learning-centered objective that values the perspectives and contributions of all people, and strive to incorporate their needs and viewpoints into the design of OSKC.
One of the first objectives of OSKC was to provide direct services by establishing a free and confidential 24 hour hotline available every day of the year. The hotline would be manned by trained professional advocates and immediate assistance would be available to anyone calling the hotline. OSKC, also, understood the dynamics of violence and realized that survivor’s rarely took care of themselves. They took care of their children, the home, and the perpetrator and once the violence seized, either by arrest or by leaving the relationship, the survivor didn’t know how to focus on themselves and, most frequently, became mentally, physically and spiritually sick. OSKC assists survivors on a crisis level but also provides services needed for their long term healing.
Currently, has an office located at 101 West 11th Street, Suite 101 in Durango, Colorado. There are three full time employees, which are the Executive Director, the Native American Coordinator and the Administrative Assistant/Victims Advocate Coordinator. OSKC would not be possible if it was not for the dedication and commitment of volunteers. Volunteers are on the Executive Board, various committees and are victims advoates.
OSKC will continue to fulfill the goals, objectives and visions for the safety and sovereighnty of Native American women and children.
Reducing the harm and effects of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, family violence and stalking against Native American victims is a very important while working toward its elimination.
The safety of our clients is our primary concern.
Philosophy
As a Tribal non profit, non governmental Coalition provides an array of services focusing on prevention, intervention and advocacy for the victims of domestic violence.
We are guided by the philosophy that:
• No one deserves to be abused.
• Our clients have the capacity to help themselves and make their own decisions with OSKC acting as the facilitator and advocate.
• Each individual who needs our services, whether victim or abuser, deserves our respect, compassion and support.
• Violence is a learned behavior that can be changed with appropriate prevention and intervention.
• The importance of active support for improved laws and governmental policies, on and off Tribal Reservations, that benefit victims of crime.
• To support the victim to return their sacredness by providing wellness and reconciliation.
Our Sister’s Keeper Coalition (OSKC) a Native American Tribal Coalition, will provide services to communities within the 6th Judicial District which include (La Plata, San Juan and Archuleta Counties) or the towns of Ignacio, Bayfield, Durango, Silverton, Allison, Pagosa Springs and Arboles, and the two Ute Mountain Ute Tribes State of Colorado (Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute.
OSKC opposes the use of violence as a means of control. We support equality in relationships and the concept of helping women assume power over their own lives. We strive toward becoming an independent, community based program in which women are major policy and program decision-makers. We must work toward ending racism, homophobia, anti-Semitism, classism, and oppression of all traditionally silenced groups within the domestic violence and sexual assault movement. These oppressions are perpetuated by the same systems that profit by violence against women and children and cannot be separated from the overall mission of the Coalition, for the oppression of one woman is the oppression of all women. We recognize and support efforts of other agencies and individuals in addressing all issues that help to eliminate oppression and societal support of violence.
Three full-time employees provide OSKC’s essential services to our clients and more than 25 volunteeres who staff the hotline and support OSKC’s other immediate and ongoing services, programs and committees. OSKC is supported by three grants from the Department of Justice, Southern Ute Gaming, and Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) Sexual Assault Prevention. Funding sources include federal, state and Tribal governments, churches, community organizations and individual donors.
Administrative Staff
OSK Staff: OSK is currently comprised of three staff members and several volunteers.
Diane Millich draws upon her personal experience surrounding violence, and years of direct service, systems change, project coordination, and national, state, and local anti-oppression and cultural competency training experience to lead the overall development and growth of the OSK successes. She is an enrolled member of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and has the passion and commitment to Break the Cycle of Violence.
Cambria Bizardi is enrolled with the Navajo Nation, and draws from her experience as a victim and survivor of domestic violence and sexual assault. She graduated from Fort Lewis College with a Bachelors of Arts in English Communications. Her passion and dedication is to help the Native American community and end the violence on the reservations.
Volunteers
Volunteers are the heart of Our Sister’s Keeper Coalition. Without Volunteers none of what OSKC has done would be possible.
Volunteers at the 1st Annual Wellness and the Sacred Summit
Executive Board of Directors
Our Sister’s Keeper Coalition Executive Board of Directors, include:
If you are interested in becoming a Executive Board member, please fill out the following form:
