Violence Against Native American Women

Rural women living on reservations face unique challenges when dealing with violence. Not only are there generally a limited number of police officers to respond to calls that cover vast distances, but on tribal lands there are often unresolved jurisdictional issues about who will respond to the calls. Many tribes do not have jails, so there is very little they can do to enforce laws. In addition to these complicated jurisdictional barriers, many Native women have limited access to telephones, transportation, emergency services, or accessible roads, especially in in climate weather.

Rebecca St. George

Mending the Sacred Hoop STOP Violence Against Indian Women Technical Assistance Project, Duluth, MN: Feb. 2001

FACTS

From: American Indians and Crime Report

US Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics – Feb. 1999

Native Women

The rate of violent crimes experienced by Native American women is nearly 50% higher than that reported by black males aged 12 and over.

Other Race Offenders

At least 70% of violence experienced by Native Americans are committed by persons not of the same race…Substantially higher than for whites or blacks.

Most Victimized

Native American victims of crime are 2 times the national rate. (All races: 50 per 1,000; Native Americans: 124 per 1,000)

Rape

Native Americans are raped at a rate more than double that of rapes reported by all races on an annual average. (All races: 2 per 1,000; Native American: 35 per 1,000)

Aggravated Assault

Native American victims reported at a rate more than double that of all races. (All races: 11 per 1,000; Native Americans: 35 per 1,000)

Simple Assault

Native American victims reported at a rate more than double that of all races. (All races: 31 per 1,000; Native Americans: 70 per 1,000)

Stalking

Seventeen percent of Native American women have been stalked

Overall

Violent crime rate among Native American Women was 98 per 1,000. More than twice that of whites (40 per 1,000) or blacks (56 per 1,000).

Victim-Offender Relationship

Native American’s victim-offender relationship was about the same as that reported by all other races.

Injuries

Native American victims of intimate and family violence are more likely than victims of all other races to be injured and need hospital care. (Medical costs were more than $21 million over a 4-year period.)

Race of Offender

At least 70% of the violence victimizations experienced by Native Americans are committed by persons not of the same race – substantially higher rate of interracial violence than experienced by white or black victims.

Native culture is grounded in the knowledge that we are all related, that the values of respect, compassion and non-violence are integral to our survival, and that women truly are sacred. Historically among Indian people, what we now call “confidentiality” was the practice of honoring individual’s life changes and paths and the right to walk through the world with freedom, safety and respect. We have an alternative to utilizing the hierarchical medical model of dominant society as a basis for the way we do our work. The work in Indian Country to end violence against Native women and their children is powerful when the indigenous culture, beliefs and worldview are used as models.

Sacred Circle, National Resource Center to End Violence Against Native Women.