five minutes will bring you closer to native american and alaska native women...

that's right - just five minutes...takes that long to toast a pop-tart...go ahead, time it --

• stick one in the toaster
• review the slide show
• contact congress on-line
• return to eat your gooey warm pop tart...now that pop tart tastes better, eh???

this is a follow-up to saturday's posting ... you see this week amnesty international usa released a groundbreaking report that exposes the us government’s failure to protect native american and alaska native women from sexual violence...native american and alaska native women are more than 2.5 times more likely to be raped or sexually assaulted than other women in the us... more than one in three native american or alaska native women will be raped at some point in their lives...

that's right...set three women down on a sofa and one of them will be raped in their lifetime...

but why are native american and alaska native women at such risk of sexual violence?... a complex maze of tribal, state and federal jurisdictions created by the u.s. government often allows perpetrators to rape with impunity and in some cases even encourages assaults... according to pauline musgrove, the executive director of the spirits of hope coalition,

"women don’t report because it doesn’t make a difference. Why report when you are just going to be revictimized?"

impunity for perpetrators and indifference towards survivors contribute to a climate where sexual violence is seen as normal and inescapable...native american and alaska native women often:

• do not get timely – or any – response from the police
• may not get forensic medical examinations
• may never see their cases prosecuted

so that's the deal with my pop tart challenge -i want you to join voices with native american and alaska native women and take action to stop the violence...urge congress to support funding to improve safety and justice for indigenous women in the us...

now go ahead and eat that pop tart...

peace out <3