"Where next?" is the question that women's advocates have asked themselves as they mark the 30th anniversary of the group known as CAWS/CASAND - the North Dakota Council on Abused Women's Services/Coalition Against Sexual Assault in North Dakota.

Back in the 1970s, the group was a pioneer in advocating for the state's first domestic violence protection order, strengthening protection laws and supporting anti-stalking legislation, said Roberta Crows Breast, CAWS/CASAND board president and director of the Fort Berthold Coalition Against Domestic Violence, at a Tuesday news conference.

Dena Filler, CAWS/CASAND board member and director of the Domestic Violence Crisis Center in Minot, pointed to the availability of programs across the state, instead of just in pockets, as one of the last 30 years' major accomplishments.

Since its early days, 21 programs addressing domestic violence and sexual assault have been established in North Dakota, Crows Breast said.

Crows Breast called Bonnie Palecek, longtime executive director of CAWS/CASAND, who announced her retirement as of Dec. 31, "one of the pioneering women in this country" for her advocacy work. She also introduced the new CAWS/CASAND executive director, Janelle Moos, who said that the foundation that has been created over the past 30 years will continue, focusing on education and awareness.

Moos, who holds a master's degree in criminal justice from Minot State University, has worked with CAWS/CASAND since 2002 in a variety of capacities. She also is board president for the North Dakota Children's Caucus.

Also introduced was Linda Thompson, executive director of the new First Nations Women's Alliance, which will partner with CAWS/CASAND as it addresses domestic violence and sexual assault that impact American Indian women in the state.

Prevention and anti-oppression work will continue to be a priority for CAWS/CASAND, Moos said, along with challenging assumptions about domestic violence and sexual assault. The group is planning a series of town hall meetings across the state to get more people involved, she said.

For First Nations Women's Alliance, Thompson said that federal funding will go toward two years of tribal meetings to gather a tribal coalition that will create a forum for education and awareness and offer culturally relevant services and resources.

The scope of the challenge is sizeable, Thompson said. Statistics show that one in three American Indian women are assaulted in her lifetime - in fact, that rate may be higher, Thompson said. Jurisdictional issues and few officers covering large areas, increase the challenges, she said.

But, she said, "you have to start somewhere."

Palecek said that she sees the next level of challenge for women's advocates to be prevention, particularly focusing on economic justice and financial and educational resources of women, lack of which is one of the root causes contributing to the problem, she said.