Violence against American Indian Women

December 12th, 2009 by admin

The Department of Justice recently released statistics revealing once again the disturbing level of violence against American Indian women. CNN reported on the dangerous trend noting that high ranking officials at DOJ have focused their attention on this obscene reality. DOJ’s release, however, is not the first time the US federal government has recognized the problem.

In 1999, the Department of Justice conducted its first study of “Indians and crime.” The analysis revealed some disturbing items:

* This is 2.4 times the rate for whites and 9.3 times the per capita rate for Asians but about half the rate for blacks.

* The arrest rate for alcohol-related offenses among American Indians (drunken driving, liquor law violations and public drunkenness) was more than double that for the total population during 1996. However, the drug arrest rate was lower than for other races.

Nearly 10 years later, the problems of crime and violence are still prevalent. While Deputy Attorney General Ogden has voiced appropriate concern, it is unlikely that such concern will alleviate the problem and even more unlikely that the solution should come from the United States Department of Justice. U.S. officials are keen on the rhetoric, but action rarely comes. Even as members of Congress are asking for funding for American Indians, the funding is far from being the end all solution and like any government funding, is host to a variety of problems.

Throwing money at violence against American Indians will not solve the problem. While there is never any excuse for violence of any sort, American Indians do not happen to be more violent than other races. There are underlying influences in these statistics. As the press release from 1999 noted there are underlying issues like alcohol consumption and abuse that need to be solved also. Surrounding those alcohol and violence issues are, of course, education and poverty. If the structure and money is not there to better educate youth, then their opportunity as adults are severely limited. It is no secret that American Indians represent a disgustingly low level of college graduates. With limited opportunity and overwhelming poverty, alcohol can be a quick fix and disgruntled behaviors can manifest as violence.

In order to address education and poverty and therefore have an effect on levels of violence, American Indians need not depend on the US government. Rather, American Indians need to give back to their own communities and work from within (as many already do). The US government funding, nonetheless, is important and is often considered an entitlement for years of abuse. It, however, should be a supplement, a resource, and purely a means to an end. It must not be forgotten that the U.S. government is hardly a dependable steward. The welfare of American Indians should always remain in their own custody.

What are your thoughts on the subject?

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