Briggs and Morgan, Professional Association and

The Advocates for Human Rights present

Women’s Human Rights Speaker Series

Trafficking of American Indian Women and Girls

Suzanne Koepplinger

Executive Director, Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center

Tuesday, June 10^th, 2008 from 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.

Briggs and Morgan, Minnesota Room

2200 IDS Center, 80 S. 8^th St., Minneapolis

Trafficking into sexual slavery is a growing problem in American Indian communities. Anecdotal evidence leads us to believe that Indian girls as young as 11 are being trafficked into prostitution. It is a revenue stream for organized crime and gangs, and a human rights violation for the victims. The federal definition of trafficking includes: the use of force, fraud or coercion for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation - and if the victim is under the age of 18, it is automatically a federal crime, regardless of the use of force, fraud or coercion. We believe a disproportionate number of Indian girls are being victimized. These girls suffer repeated trauma, become chemically addicted, and suffer from mental illnesses, high rates of STDs, HIV, the effects of forced abortions and beatings. They need long term, comprehensive social services, including housing, job training, education, mental health care, chemical dependency services, and mentoring to recover. Culturally-specific services can also play an important role in women and girls’ healing.

Law enforcement, the judicial system, government, tribes, the funding community, social service providers, faith-based organizations and schools must all work holistically to raise awareness, educate communities and provide assistance for victims. The federal government’s Trafficking Victims Protection Act at this time does not provide funding for domestically trafficked persons. Current initiatives are underway in Minnesota to gather qualitative and quantitative data and begin to understand the scope of the problem and create comprehensive prevention, intervention and prosecutorial interventions. This workshop will provide an overview of the issue of sex trafficking and explore what is taking place in Minnesota, with particular focus on the state’s American Indian communities. 

Presenter bio: Suzanne Koepplinger, M.A., has been the Executive Director of the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center since December of 2003. She has a background in international project development and management, communications, domestic violence advocacy, and fundraising. Suzanne serves on the State of Minnesota Children’s Justice Initiative/Alcohol and Other Drugs (CJI/AOD) Core Team, Metro Urban Indian Directors (MUID) Group, MACC Alliance of Connected Communities Board of Directors, and the Greater Twin Cities United Way Council of Agency Executives - Executive Committee. Civic/volunteer activities include serving on the Steering Committee for the Sheila Wellstone Institute, on the FBI Civil Rights Advisory Group, and as international team leader for Global Citizens Network, bringing volunteers into indigenous communities around the globe. Suzanne is of Canadian Mohawk and European ancestry, holds a Masters degree in the Art of Leadership from Augsburg College and is a Certified Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist. She is the 2007 recipient of the Minneapolis FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award and the 2008 recipient of the Sheila Wellstone Gold WATCH Award.

**PLEASE NOTE THAT REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT IS COMPLETELY FULL.  If you would like to be on the waiting list for any cancellations, contact mhunt@advrights.org. 

Free and open to the public (REGISTRATION REQUIRED).  Please RSVP to Mary Hunt at mhunt@advrights.org or  612-341-3302, ext. 107 by Friday, June 6^th.  Lunch will be provided for those who RSVP.