Native candidate speaks about sexual assaults

Tuesday, May 6, 2008  

Diane Benson, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. House, didn't expect her past sexual assaults to be a part of her campaign.

But after Benson, who is Tlingit, spoke about being a survivor at a conference last week, she has decided to use her run to call attention to high rates of violence against Native women. She said not every victim has had the money or resources to cope with the trauma and stress of being assaulted.

"What if there was no place for me to turn when the nightmares finally caught up with me and consumed my life?" Benson said at a press conference, The Anchorage Daily News reported. "Would I be standing here today? Not likely."

Benson said few attackers of Native women are brought to justice. She called for more funding for women's shelters and for more collaboration between tribal, state and federal agencies.

Benson is one of three Democrats who want to challenge Rep. Don Young (R) for Alaska's sole Congressional seat.

Get the Story:
Benson aims to use House run to empower women (The Anchorage Daily News 5/6)
pwlat
Native women address staggering violence rates (The Anchorage Daily News 5/1)