UW Bothell Campus Events

In 1972, Yvonne Wanrow (now Yvonne Swan)

shot a man who had tried to molest her son and her neighbor’s son in Spokane. Her case became a rallying point for indigenous and feminist activists in the 1970s to highlight the intersections of colonialism, gender violence, and the injustices of the US criminal justice system. The ensuing legal battles resulted in a landmark decision allowing for self-defense for survivors of domestic violence and marked the first time US courts acknowledged “the particular legal problems of women who defend themselves or their children from male violence.” In this talk, Swan discusses the case and its legacy for women and indigenous communities in Washington and beyond.