Minnesota woman’s book uses her personal experience to help sexual assault survivors

NINA MOINI: Before we start this next segment, we want to tell you that this interview will talk about sexual violence. Please take care while listening. Later this afternoon, at the state capitol, the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault and other organizations will gather to push for funding for victim services.

My next guest has been working in a different way to support survivors through the aftermath of sexual assault. She turned to a wide range of experts, including lawyers, detectives, therapists, and other survivors, to learn about reporting sexual violence, pursuing justice, and healing. Then she packaged it all into a resource guide called We Are the Evidence-- A Handbook for Finding Your Way After Sexual Assault. And it's a finalist now for a Minnesota book award in nonfiction. Author Cheyenne Wilson joins me now on the line. Cheyenne, thank you so much for sharing this with us today.

CHEYENNE WILSON: Thank you for having me here today, Nina.

NINA MOINI: For starters, I just want to ask, what inspired you to create this resource? What need were you seeing?

CHEYENNE WILSON: So when I was sexually assaulted myself, I went looking for resources on what to do, what my options were, and to better understand what had happened to me. I believed, at the time, that sexual assault was committed by strangers in dark alleys, and I wasn't aware that it was more common for it to be someone you knew.

So I went looking for that resource and I couldn't find it. And that ultimately delayed my reporting process and my healing journey, because I just kind of packaged it away and put it on the back shelf to ignore, until later, I found a document that was for those who were in school to become attorneys that talked about sexual assault myths and what those were.

And that was the first time I read something that validated what I had experienced and what I had gone through, and that single document empowered me to go ahead and report. And all through the reporting process and going to court, I had more and more questions that kept coming up. But there was not a single comprehensive, easily accessible resource for me to use to answer those questions. And that's why I knew I needed to write this book.

NINA MOINI: Yeah. You know, we do hear some of these myths that you're talking about in our society. And thank you for sharing so much about your own experience. But generally, we see these myths and misconceptions. Do you want to talk about just a few of those that you really wanted to correct with this handbook?

CHEYENNE WILSON: Absolutely. Some other myths that I think are very prevalent are that sexual assault only impacts women, when men can be victims of assault as well, and they're also impacted because their loved ones are impacted.

Also, the idea that there's such thing as a perfect victim, that someone who's experienced sexual assault will always act or behave in a certain way. That myth really keeps people from getting the resources and services they need to start healing.

NINA MOINI: Yeah, and I'm so curious about how you went about collecting all of this information that somebody would need.

CHEYENNE WILSON: Yeah. So when I was writing the book, I thought a lot of my own experience and questions I had, but I knew that I was a survivor, I was an expert in my experience, but in order for this resource to really be the helpful resource I wanted it to be, I had to rely on other experts who were experts in their fields, which is why I looked to detectives, prosecuting attorney.

I have a dietitian who contributed as well, and many other specialists, therapists, et cetera, who could talk about their expertise and give their thoughts on what survivors might need to know going through this process.

NINA MOINI: Definitely. And so many times, we talk about reporting or we talk about the legal system, but that's really the beginning, right? I mean, were there things you learned along the way that surprised you or that really stood out to you just about the journey after something like this?

CHEYENNE WILSON: Yeah. So I didn't realize that I could have pursued civil court in addition to the criminal court process, and it wasn't until writing the book that I started to realize that I really-- I could have, and I wish I had, looked into that more. But it wasn't presented as an option. So that's one example of something I really hope people can get out of this book, is you're not limited in pursuing justice, whatever that might look like for you, to one avenue.

NINA MOINI: And how can people reach this resource guide?

CHEYENNE WILSON: The book is available wherever you like to buy your books. I always encourage people to support your local booksellers, and also to support your libraries. So you can call them and see if they have a copy on hand. But that's really important, to support your community in that way.

NINA MOINI: Sure. And may I ask, what types of responses have you gotten since publishing the handbook?

CHEYENNE WILSON: It's been a really wonderful and humbling experience, hearing and seeing the messages from other survivors who have used the resource. I've had people reach out saying that now that they have the information they needed, they were able to report what happened to them.

They were able to more confidently disclose to their loved ones what happened or seek therapy or other healing avenues. And I think it just goes to show how important it is to have the information needed to make that informed decision on how to move forward.

NINA MOINI: Sure. And I'm told that you yourself, and in moving forward and in your journey in life, you've become a nurse. Can I ask how this journey kind of affected your career goals?

CHEYENNE WILSON: So when I was assaulted, I was in college and was pursuing the pre-medical route, and my life got thrown off track as I was handling the trauma, and ended up becoming a social worker for a while. And it wasn't until I started actually really writing the book that I went back to school to get my nursing license, and within the same year of the book being published, I started working as a nurse as well, which has been a really fun, full-circle journey for me personally.

NINA MOINI: What's your favorite part about nursing?

CHEYENNE WILSON: As a nurse, you have the ability to help people. You're working with your hands and your mind, and you're also-- with your heart and your passion. And it's a really beautiful field in that way. And I love getting to work with the patients and seeing them improve or bringing them comfort or a sense of safety when they're in a really stressful situation.

NINA MOINI: We mentioned at the top there's a day of action at the state capitol today. Who is all going to be there? Are there going to be members of the medical community? I mean, there's so many people that probably encompass the resources within your handbook, but I'm curious if there are any specific supports or policy changes that you think survivors need that the state could help with.

CHEYENNE WILSON: I think it's really important to remember that sexual violence is a public health crisis. It affects not just individuals, but entire communities. And we see those consequences, again, in the individual with their physical and mental health, but also in increased health care costs and generational trauma.

And this day of action is so important because we need the resources necessary to address this crisis, and survivors deserve more than just the acknowledgment that sexual violence is an issue, but also the services and resources available and invested to creating a more healing and safe community.

NINA MOINI: Right. I do just want to ask, Cheyenne-- and I know everyone's situation is different and everybody is an individual. But I wanted to just ask you if there's any message that you do have for other survivors who are listening.

CHEYENNE WILSON: I love that question. Thank you.

NINA MOINI: Thank you.

CHEYENNE WILSON: Healing-- yeah. Healing is unique to everyone. It's going to look different. I think it's really important not to compare your healing journey to that of someone else's. And I try to talk about that in the book, too, but try different things. If one thing is not working for you, try something different. Try to think outside the box.

Therapy and these more formal resources and supports are absolutely important, but finding joy through trying something new-- painting, hiking, meeting new people, building community, that's really important. And that community piece, especially. Find your community.

NINA MOINI: Oh, Cheyenne, I just-- I really appreciate the work that you have put into this handbook, and the work that you're doing, and coming on today and sharing with us about your own journey and the journey ahead to help other survivors. I really appreciate your time.

CHEYENNE WILSON: Thank you for having me here and having these conversations about sexual violence. It's so important and makes a huge difference.

NINA MOINI: Thank you. Take care. Cheyenne Wilson is the author of the Minnesota book award finalist We Are the Evidence-- A Handbook for Finding Your Way After Sexual Assault. If you or someone you know is in a dangerous situation with a partner, there is a 24-hour, statewide domestic and sexual violence hotline. You can call Minnesota Day One at (866) 233-1111 or text (612) 399-9995. We'll have those resources as well on our website, mprnews.org.