Born in Kansas but her father was in the U.S. Air Force so she spent her childhood traveling (Okinawa, Germany, Idaho, and Texas).  She entered the U.S. Army after high school and spent time in South Carolina, Georgia, Germany, New York, and Alaska.  She retired and came back to Alaska to be with her husband.  She was attending a class at Alaska Pacific University and one of her classmates talked about Standing Together Against Rape (STAR).  After she graduated in August 2001 she made the decision to get in touch with STAR to see about volunteering. She attended the required 40 hour class and began volunteering on the crisis line November 2001 and has continued since.

The Resource Center for Parents and Children (RCPC) is a nonprofit organization that has served the Fairbanks community for 50 years. RCPC provides preventative and intervention services to families and children in the areas of parenting, child development, and child maltreatment. RCPC is an established resource and tool for caregivers needing assistance. Three programs exist under the RCPC umbrella. They include Family Education Services, Behavioral Health, and Stevie’s Place Child Advocacy Center. Stevie’s Place operates alongside Law Enforcement and the Office of Children’s Services (OCS) to support investigations of child sexual abuse and serious physical abuse. This program provides direct services to victims and their families through a multidisciplinary team model utilizing best practices in providing advocacy, forensic medical services, behavioral health, child forensic interviewing services, and case management.

Ingrid Cumberlidge currently serves as the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Coordinator at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska, having been appointed in July of 2020.  She is one of the 5 MMIP Coordinators designated to serve in the DOJ, U.S. Attorney’s offices nationwide, to address missing and murdered Native American issue through Alaska districtwide collaboration and response capacity building. Of both Aleut and Tlingit decent, Ms. Cumberlidge is an educator, former tribal court judge and tribal court trainer. Previously, Ms. Cumberlidge served the Qagan Tayagungin Tribe as a Tribal Judge and Chief Judge for 22 years, a teacher and then principal of Sand Point School for 23 years. Ms. Cumberlidge also served as a member of the Tribal Advisory Council for the National Judicial College, at the University of Nevada, Reno.  She was a tribal appointed Alaska Tribal Delegate on the Millennium Agreement team between the federally recognized Tribes of Alaska and the State of Alaska.

Before birth I lost my father to suicide. A Cherokee American military service member, stationed in Anchorage, AK whose family chose to leave me behind. My Mexican American Mother, with addiction issues neglected and abused my brother. I was born into it, mid 1992. I experienced neglect and abuse with my brother. Children In Need of Aid….of saving. Scars we bear, show the lack of education, support, abilities, most importantly willingness, our Mother had. A short time in guardianship with grandmother, only safe time I recall. By 2nd grade my mother married, had our sister, deemed fit for reunification. Our abuse began nearly as soon as the state was gone. Mild at first, slaps unexpectedly, ear pulling, spankings. I was groomed very efficiently, and effectively, manipulating my innocence and child curiosity. I need to be “taught” how to be ready for my future husband. By summer school before 3rd grade, I learned a painfully wide variety of things and ways husbands like their wives except one last…way. While learning the times table at school, I learned breathing techniques for relaxing when in pain at home. 2001, last sibling born 2 days post 9/11. 5 days before christmas. I watched her get unwrapped from a blanket, colors of life replaced with colors of death. If cops followed their intuition to linger, It would have saved the rest of us. Abusive behaviors after sibling death included:food restrictions, forced to eat spoiled foods, physically exhaustive exercises, pinned down beatings, hit with various objects and hospital visits, choking unconscious. By summer school before 9th grade my brother was beaten into running away. I was completely groomed and thus secretly engaged to my step father. Just before 17 I had enough of my life. An attempt to seek help from APD at he Elmore building. “I need to talk to somebody about some things” was met by after hours operator saying. “ Honey, we don’t do that here.” My suicide plan was thus set into motion.

After that escape, statements to police, grand jury, finally to trial and testifying. Where the beginning of the next betrayal and the ending of the last and, person who survived my step father. I would end up being a victim yet again, from a trusted advocate who supported me during that 1st trial. Being a victim of domestic violence sexual assault as a child and now again as an adult has highlighted the failings for adult victims rights. Waiting over 7 years as an adult, name not redacted lead to being found, not investigating my concerns for potential 3rd parties, finding out just how little respect is shown for the courtroom, let alone victims. Listening to joking about getting famous between defendant and one of the pro bono attorneys on his team whom, terrifyingly had been a local GAL. Where was the abundance of caution to protect other persons and community against more crimes, as vigorously as the law allows. As a victim I believe these actions, and inactions are all contributing factors to Alaska taking the #1 spot for sexual assault.

I know I’m definitely intimidated by this all to the point of determination. To become legally educated just like those I seemingly must fight alone. My name is Nevaeh Miller I am a 30 year old Cherokee-Mexican American woman my entire life in Anchorage Alaska has shown me there must be more zealous advocates for victims of violent crimes. I have waited nearly ⅓ of my life for the conclusion in 2nd criminal proceedings. Let’s stop enabling abusive behaviors, provide safe spaces to enable victims to come forward and share their story to spark the actions that lead to making Alaska as safe as it is. Beautiful.