Yá’át’ééh shik’éí dóó shidine’é,

As the air shifted and the leaves began to turn this month, so did our collective energy, toward remembrance, visibility, and action. This October, during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, our campaign Cycle Breakers Since 1492 served as both a tribute and a call. It honored the deep resistance of our ancestors and celebrated the present-day courage of those who are disrupting generational harm and choosing healing, safety, and community. 

One of the most powerful moments of this month was our 10th Annual I Will Run for Them 5K, held at Isleta Lakes. We felt the strength of the gathering of relatives, survivors, and supporters moving together in remembrance and resilience. It was a collective prayer in motion, a visible and heartfelt reminder of the power we hold when we come together for something greater than ourselves. 

Throughout the month, we witnessed that same spirit reflected across our communities. Through the stories and affirmations shared in our #CycleBreakersSince1492 challenge, in the youth responses to healthy relationships, and in the powerful voices that emerged during our Virtual Community Advocacy Meeting, the message was clear: we are not only breaking cycles, we are actively creating something better in their place. Purple Thursday brought another wave of solidarity, as our timelines and workplaces lit up in honor of survivors and in defiance of silence. 

This campaign wasn’t about perfection or performance. It was about truth. It was about reclaiming narratives and holding space for healing. It was about reminding each other that we are never alone in this work. 

Being a cycle breaker means choosing courage, even when systems fail us. It means disrupting silence, honoring our cultures, and making space for the kind of futures our ancestors could only dream of. 

So to each of you who showed up this month, in big ways, in quiet ways, in your own way, ahéhee’ for being with us in this work. You are part of something powerful, and we are so grateful to walk alongside you. 

In community, 

Nicole Michelena

Nicole Michelena (Diné) 

Executive Deputy Director 

Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women 

For more information, please contact us at:

(505) 243 - 9199 | [email protected]

CSVANW is a 501(c)(3) organization that is funded in part by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Justice.