The Monument Quilt is a public healing space by and for survivors of rape and abuse. Photo from Facebook
Native women will be rallying at the U.S. Supreme Court as the justices hear a closely-watched case next month. The National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center already stood up for tribal sovereignty by submitting a brief in Dollar General Corporation v. Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. The case, which will be heard on December 7, will determine whether the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians can exercise jurisdiction over a lawsuit filed by a minor tribal member who was sexually abused by a non-Indian on the reservation. The organization is now joining forces with The Monument Quilt to call more attention to the case. The groups will be bringing quilt squares to the Supreme Court in recognition of the high rates of violence and abuse facing Native women and children. “NIWRC and the Monument Quilt Project will walk in support of safety for Native women and sovereignty of Indian nations,” Cherrah Giles, the president of the organization's board, said in a press release. “We ask everyone to join our effort to oppose Dollar General. Non-Indian corporations and sex predators must be held accountable. Race should not be a license to prey on Native women and children.” People interested in submitting quilt squares for the effort must mail them by December 1. The two organizations will gather on the sidewalk of the Supreme Court from 9am to 12pm on the day of the oral arguments. “We invite those concerned about justice and safety of Native women to create a quilt square to share their support for justice and stories of survival,” said Rebecca Nagle, the co-director of the FORCE Monument Quilt Project. “Contribute your quilt square to the growing Monument Quilt. Let us walk together on December 7 and call on the Supreme Court for justice for Native women and children.” The Monument Quilt is a public healing space by and for survivors of rape and abuse. The project has collected more than 1,000 quilt squares and displayed them in 22 cities across the United States. 5th Circuit Decision:
Dollar General Corporation v. Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians (March 14, 2014)
Dollar General Corporation v. Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians (March 14, 2014)
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