Sistacircle: Every Tuesday at 10am PT/1pm ET/5pm UTC
Sistacircle is a weekly, drop-in educational support group for women survivors of male violence and/or the threat of male violence. Rooted in feminist theory, this circle is a space for reflection, learning, and resistance. Free and peer-led, it centres survivors in their own liberation. Join us!
Feminist Activism
We invite you to discuss feminist based actions of any kind. Our focus is on organized feminist activism either in person or virtually aimed at ending women's exploitation and male violence against women, fighting for sex based rights, and creating social and systemic change to better women's lives.
Discussion Care Note: This topic discusses male violence against women and girls. Please prioritize your well-being while engaging with this material.
Spotlight On Cathy Terkanian
Cathy Terkanian placed her baby daughter, Alexis, for adoption as a teenager after experiencing significant hardship and external pressure (Daily Mail, 2025). Two decades after the adoption, Cathy was still unable to locate her birth daughter. More than three decades later—36 years after the adoption—she received a letter requesting her DNA to help investigators identify remains they believed could belong to Alexis.
This life-altering event revealed that Alexis had not been living the better life Cathy had hoped for, but had in fact been missing for many years (Daily Mail, 2025). Determined to uncover the truth, Cathy set out on a path to find out what happened to her daughter. To this day, she continues to advocate for Alexis by speaking publicly and supporting efforts to share her story and pursue justice (Daily Mail, 2025).
Questions To Consider
- How does this story affect your own understanding of grief, resilience, and perseverance?
- What does this case reveal about the justice system’s handling of missing persons with a history like Alexis?
- How might societal attitudes toward female youth have influenced Alexis’s story and the obstacles Cathy faced?
- In what ways does media coverage (like Netflix series or news articles) affect public awareness and pressure for justice in cases like this?
- How can we support families seeking justice without overstepping or sensationalizing their trauma?
References
Daily Mail. (2025). Mom behind Netflix’s Into the Fire series reveals shock twist in case: Cathy Terkanian’s story is at the heart of Into the Fire. Daily Mail. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14540657/Aundria-bowman-biological-mom-cathy-terkanian-ashes-netflix.html
Links
FAQs & Code Of Participation
Sistacircle: Every Tuesday At 1PM EST/10AM PST
If you have questions, please read over Sistacircle's Frequently Asked Questions and review our Feminist Code Of Participation.
