‘Fire and fury’

This year’s Take Back the Night event featured a keynote speaker and a scheduled candlelight vigil to stand in solidarity with survivors and educate participants on the influence of domestic violence and sexual abuse on indigenous women through traditional storytelling.  

Tai Simpson presented her virtual Keynote Address, “I’m Spiritual AF But You Can Catch These Hands,” on Sept. 17for this year’s Take Back the Night event, focusing on the importance of personal storytelling in relation to healing from domestic abuse and sexual violence.  

Simpson, known as “The Storyteller” in the Nimiipuu nation tongue, is a direct descendant of Chief Redheart of the Nez Perce Tribe. She has dedicated her academic career to social justice, studying sociology, political philosophy and public law at Boise State University, according to the University of Idaho’s information page for Take Back the Night. Simpson uses her educational background and intersectional identities as both a Black and Indigenous woman to speak on social injustice using traditional and contemporary Indigenous storytelling. 

Simpson’s keynote addressed the importance of storytelling as a tool used to express oneself and one’s strengths and struggles, specifically focusing on the increased rates of violence and sexual abuse against Indigenous women.  

“These are very serious conversations about how do we get to a place of healing in our communities the same way that I’m moving into a place of healing as an individual woman,” Simpson said, opening the address to connect her personal story of domestic violence to a larger commentary on violence against women in Indigenous nations and communities.  

Simpson also told the audience to reflect on their own experiences, encouraging them to connect to their personal stories. 

“Storytelling is the direct line to connect one human to another.” Simpson said.  

“Tell me the story of your people…. Tell me the story of your name….Who are you called to be in this moment?”  

Simpson’s address was part of just one scheduled event for UI’s Katy Benoit Campus Safety Awareness Month to raise awareness for sexual violence and domestic abuse prevention on campus. A candlelight vigil was scheduled after the address but was postponed due to unhealthy air quality conditions on campus. The vigil will now take place on Oct. 8. Masks and social distancing are required.  

Take Back the Night started from a 1976 demonstration held at the International Tribunal on Crimes Against Women in Brussels, Belgium. Over 20,000 women from 40 countries stood in solidarity with victims of sexual assault and other forms of violence by holding a candlelight procession throughout the city.  

UI is one of the many communities that has included the global phenomenon into campus safety awareness programming. The Women’s Center, along with Alternatives to Violence on the Palouse and Lambda Theta Alpha worked together to incorporate this event into the Katy Benoit Campus Safety Awareness Month held every September. It offers community events to encourage annual involvement and awareness.  

“Unfortunately, it’s very, very known that the phenomena of sexual violence tend to affect women very much,” Jackie Sedano, the program coordinator for the Women’s Center, said.“They deserve to live their (lives) without fear of this type of violence.” 

Resources available at the Women’s Center include a confidential staff of counselors who are available for personal assistance and recovery for victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse.  

“Although we’re certainly here for folks who have experienced or been affected by sexual violence, domestic violence, sexual assault…we’re here for everyone.” Sedano said. “We know this has been a difficult year, so this is also a time to come and stand in solidarity against all types of violence and just be with one another.” 

Katarina Hockema can be reached at [email protected].