The Wrangell Cooperative Association has hired Naomi Fowler as its new domestic violence prevention program manager, looking to establish a dedicated tribal resource in town for prevention and intervention that previously did not exist in a sustained capacity.

Women In Safe Homes (WISH), based in Ketchikan, helps people in Wrangell who need services, but it does not have an office in town. Past efforts by the WCA to staff its program on a consistent basis have come up short, with the first manager fired in 2024, while the second hire resigned in January 2025.

Fowler, who returned to her hometown of Wrangell in fall of 2025 after living in Juneau, brings a different professional background to the role. While she does not come from a traditional human services field, she spent years in the tech industry designing and implementing complex systems. She also previously maintained a bed and breakfast in the state capital, but always felt the pull of her roots.

“I knew that when I came home to participate in tribal events, I was missing a sense of myself by being gone,” Fowler said. “And I saw an opportunity in this role to really help people continue to feel safe in their home.”

Operating out of a newly repurposed office in the former laundromat building on Front Street, across from Laughing Star Hobbies, the program was strategically placed to be highly accessible to the public. The interior has been renovated to accommodate private advocacy and administrative functions, moving the program away from a purely reactive model toward a proactive, system-based approach.

Fowler said her goal is to create a positive feedback loop within the community where everyone feels welcome and able to help. She recognizes the importance of bringing in qualified behavioral and mental health experts to help residents navigate personal triggers and move forward without self-sabotage.

“I want to give people a place where positivity is preserved,” she said. “I think that being a small community, it’s important for people to have a place where they feel like they belong.”

The urgency of the program is underscored by sobering statistics. According to the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics, only about 45% of Native and American Indian victims of violence report crimes to police, meaning roughly 55% of incidents go unreported. National studies frequently cite that the rate of violence against Alaska Native and American Indian women is often three to 10 times higher than the national average.

“Living in a small community where everyone knows each other is something that contributes to that, I believe,” Fowler said regarding the underreporting. “There is a sense of shame or fear of judgment that goes along with speaking out about being a victim. That’s something I really hope to eliminate.”

The initiative is supported by a $192,218 grant awarded by the Indian Health Service in May 2025, part of the five-year $1 million grant awarded to the WCA in 2022. This funding ensures the program can maintain its primary pillars, Fowler said, which include establishing a coordinated community response task force to improve communication between organizations and using Tlingit culture as a deterrent to violence.

WCA is seeking to hire a part-time culture recovery advocate and trainer. This role will focus on using tribal traditions and cultural identity as “protective factors” to strengthen family bonds. By hosting “All Tribes“ activities like singing, dancing and regalia-making, the tribe aims to integrate heritage directly into its safety strategy.

The current grant funding is slated to run through April 30, 2027, though tribal leaders intend to seek renewals to ensure these services remain a permanent fixture.

Fowler said she hopes to bring in people from various groups and organizations to ensure the effort remains a broad, community-wide success.

“We updated our contact form and we would love to be able to reach out when we have exciting things happen,” she said. “The entire community, not just Natives, can be on our email list. And they should be.”

Fowler said that anyone interested in learning more about her office, resources or information in general should log on to WCAtribe.org/prevention. The website will evolve over time with more information.