One of the largest yet least talked about issues is violence against Native American/ Indigenous Identifying women. I have devoted much time to this topic in a prior research project but never really explored the serious and effective solutions for the issue. Native women have been targeted, abused, objectified, and dehumanized since the beginning of western colonization. Today the United States has not only done very little to nothing to repair damages imposed onto Indigenous communities but has in-fact upheld laws and regulations that directly harm these communities. Out of all members of Indigenous communities the women have been the most harmed, this is due to the nature of relationships between white men and Indigenous women that goes back centuries. The shear number of missing Indigenous women and girls is horrifying and the crimes committed against them go either un-noticed or un-condemned. The United States has positioned itself at the helm of Indigenous politics and has dismissed crime after crime that has taken place on or outside national reservations. The main and most systemic issues that have led to this targeted demographic are positioning of “man-camps” near reservations, Indigenous legal systems, and a history of sexualizing and dehumanizing of Indigenous women.

 

Outline:

Introduction:

• Grabber: use statistic or story to help audience understand the gravity of the issue
• Main message/ Call to action: Find specific strategies to combat violence against Native American/ Indigenous Identifying Women. (donating, hands-on grassroots work, activism/ protest/ speech, using privileged positions to give those without a voice a platform.)

Body:

• present the main source of violence against these women and girls and the connection to abuse of the land/ earth
• explain how this correlates to how the U.S failed to empower reservation communities to protect themselves
• this all connects back to history of objectification and how an Indigenous Woman’s body has been used throughout history as a means for power and control.

Conclusion:

• clear and concise summary of main points and the connections between them
• main main message understandable and digestible to guarantee that the audience hears what it is you want them to
• call to action and what is possible to take action on right now

Review of Speech:

Despite the fact that this speech was given by a young child, it is very cohesive, clear, and convincing! We felt that he took advantage and utilized his position as a kid to amplify the power of his speech and his understanding of the topic. He spoke in a passionate and lively manner and even got his audience physically engaged in his message. His bluntness with information and logic was easy to follow and allowed him to condense the topic without sacrificing vital information. We ultimately found that it doesn’t take a lot of time or complexity to deliver a convincing and informationally valid speech. It is about how you utilize your time and perspective on the issue!

 

Group discussion on speech topics + outlines:

We each shared our topics and explained partially our outlines and plans of argumentation. We spent the majority of the time clearing up our understanding of the assignment and how to formulate the different pieces we need to create a cohesive speech. Everyone has fascinating topics regarding adoption, the environment, and marginalized communities, I am excited to see what we all develop in this assignment!