According to the National Institute of Justice, 83% of Native American and Alaska Native adults are victims of violence in their lifetimes. Intimate partner violence affects Native women and men at similar rates.
The Cherokee Nation is the largest tribe in the United States and has more than 450,000 citizens worldwide. More than 141,000 live on its reservation in Oklahoma, which covers 14 counties and 7,000 square miles. In 2013, at a time when few resources were available in the region for survivors of domestic violence, the tribal government began to address their needs more comprehensively.
Our Nation Ending Fear, Intimidation, Rape, and Endangerment — ONE FIRE — began as a single point of contact for services victims might need, including temporary shelter, emergency groceries, transportation, legal representation and even someone to go to the hospital with them.
Since then, ONE FIRE has added services to help survivors beyond their immediate crisis, providing therapy, life skills and help with job searches. The program offers cultural healing through classes in traditional arts. And in 2022, the tribe opened a transitional housing facility for individuals and families escaping domestic violence. It can house up to 10 families.
Since its founding, ONE FIRE has helped at least 2,000 survivors. In 2021, it received the Harvard Project on Indigenous Governance and Development’s Honoring Nations award, which celebrates outstanding examples of tribes that help expand the capacities of Native nations.
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