On Feb. 22 to 24, 2011, the Dakota Tiwahe Service Unit of the Santee Sioux Tribe and Mending the Sacred Hoop of Minnesota have collaborated to provide a free training to area tribal programs on facilitating a men’s batterers program. Click here for brochure 

Misty Thomas, of the Dakota Tiwahe center, said they recognize the shortage of Men’s Batterers programs in tribal communities and will be offering the training to a limited number of men who are interested in facilitating men’s groups in their communities. The training be held at the Marina Inn in South Sioux City, Neb. continental breakfast and lunch will be provided for participants.

Facilitator trainers are Don Chapin and Jeremy Nevilles-Sorell. Chapin has been working to end violence against women for nearly 30 years. He serves as faculty for Mending the Sacred Hoop, Sacred Circle, and Red Wind Consulting, Inc. providing technical assistance, trainings, and on-site trainings/meetings for tribal governments and tribal communities for the Office of Violence Against Women, Office of Justice Programs. Nevilles-Sorell has worked in the field of domestic violence since 1994 on issues affecting children who have experienced domestic violence. He worked for four years at the Duluth Family Visitation Center and for several years at the Women’s Transitional Housing Coalition in Duluth, Minns. and has also been involved with Men As Peacemakers, a community group devoted to promoting non-violent lifestyles for men, conducted groups with teenage boys on domestic violence, and has co-facilitated groups for Native men who have battered.  For more information on the training and for registration information contact Lorene Thomas or Karen Red Owl at 800-655-0828 or 402-857-2342 or email Lorene at tatankawastewi@yahoo.com.