History of Victimization in Native Communities

• NCJ Number: 213165
• Author(s): Dolores Subia BigFoot Ph.D.
• Date Published: March 2000
• Length: 20 pages
• Grant Number(s): 97-VI-GX-0002
• Sponsoring Agency: Office for Victims of Crime (OVC)
• Corporate Author: Ctr on Child Abuse and Neglect
• Sale Source: Ctr on Child Abuse and Neglect
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Historical Overview
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This paper documents the collective history of victimization experienced by American Indian and Alaskan Native populations to the present day, with attention to current barriers for services to Native American crime victims.

Abstract

The disproportionate amount of victimization risk among Native Americans today can be traced to the policies and practices of early explorers and missionaries and sustained by the Federal Government. The effects of these policies and their implementation have changed the political, economic, social, cultural, and spiritual pathways that previously held tribal groups together. The Federal Government used boarding schools, missions, agents, treaties, and removal to undermine the structure and traditions of tribes, which eventually destroyed the unity and stability of the family and the ability of Native communities to govern themselves, hold criminal behavior accountable, and administer justice. In short, Native communities were deprived of their ability to protect themselves through informal and formal social control. This paper provides a chronology of events and Federal policies that have brought Native communities to their current state of vulnerability to victimization, beginning prior to 1492 and encompassing Federal legislation and policies through 1998. Regarding current victimization risk, Native women are at high risk for domestic violence; Native men are at high risk for suicide and homicide; and Native children are at high risk for abuse, neglect, and injury. This paper lists the distinctive barriers to crime-victim services faced by Native Americans. On a positive note, however, victim services are beginning to be framed within traditional Native teachings of spirituality and cultural relevancy, and Native families are rebuilding. Still, Native families need support services that will increase their sense of empowerment and provide opportunities for them to develop protective social and economic resources. A list of 15 resources