Trigger warning: This article contains discussions about rape, sexual assault, and sexual violence. Reader discretion is advised.
During November, many people feel excited and eager for Thanksgiving. However, not everyone knows that November is also Indigenous History Month. In addition, many Indigenous people reclaimed Thanksgiving as Indigenous Peoples’ Day. While this day may be a celebration for some, it is often a day of remembrance and mourning for Indigenous nations and tribes across North America. When celebrating Thanksgiving, it is important to remember and reflect on the problematic history of the holiday and consider the modern issues that still directly affect Indigenous populations, especially gender-based violence.
Gender-based violence has unfortunately been a large part of American and Canadian history, specifically towards Indigenous women. Learning for Justice defines settler colonialism as “the removal and erasure of Indigenous peoples in order to take the land for use by settlers in perpetuity.” Settler colonialism requires militant control and mass murder. It also acts as a conduit for gender-based violence. Throughout history, European colonizers would utilize sexual violence to suppress the Indigenous population further.
This sexual violence from the colonial era impacts the modern, American view of Indigenous women. To this day, Indigenous women endure harmful stereotypes that often disproportionately sexualize them. For example, according to The Indigenous Foundation, the “Indian Princess” stereotype “involves an Indigenous woman, usually the daughter of the strong, ruthless ‘Indian Chief,’ and portrays her as desirable, beautiful, and untouchable, by, mostly, white men. She is usually submissive, helps the settlers out, and falls in love with a white man instead of the man her father or tribe ‘picked’ for her.” This harmful stereotype is often perpetuated in the media through movies like Pochantos and Peter Pan. These media representations inaccurately portray Indigenous women while also maintaining a sexual and harmful stereotype.
The sexualization of Indigenous women has harmful ramifications on their well-being and safety. According to recent studies from Harvard, while Indigenous women make up 1.1% of the American population, 4 out of 5 Indigenous women will experience some form of violence in their lifetime. Violence is the third leading cause of death for Indigenous women, making their murder rates 10 times higher than their white counterparts. Overall, the National Institute of Justice states that 84% of Indigenous women will experience some form of psychological, physical or sexual violence. Non-native men account for 97% of these crimes.
This phenomenon catalyzed the Murdered Indigenous Women (#MMIW) movement. This movement mourns the loss of missing and murdered Indigenous women but also calls into question the role our legal system plays in addressing this issue.
Tribal governments do not have the jurisdiction to prosecute or investigate non-Native perpetrators. The 1973 Supreme Court decision, Oliphant vs. Suquamish Indian Tribe, involved a white worker on the Suquamish reservation, Oliphant, assaulting a tribal officer and being detained. However, the Supreme Court ruled in a 6-2 decision that Oliphant could not be prosecuted in tribal courts because a jury of his peers would not judge him. While this decision secured Oliphant’s right to a fair and speedy trial, it also set a dangerous precedent for Indigenous women since this Supreme Court decision dictated that tribal governments could not prosecute crimes committed by non-natives on Native land.
This case has created a legal loophole in which tribal governments are sovereign but they cannot prosecute non-natives who commit crimes on their land. However, it is often difficult for the county or city to prosecute the perpetrator since the crime occurred on native land. As a result, Indigenous women are incredibly susceptible to experiencing violence. Because of the different jurisdictions, it is difficult for governing bodies to communicate and act accordingly.
Dr. Robin Whyatt, Professor Emeritus in the Columbia Mailman School Department of Environmental Health Science, defined #MMIW as a “public health crisis.” In an article for Progressive Magazine, she said, “[Indigenous women] go missing by the thousands, are murdered at rates many times the national average, and are experiencing unbearable levels of sexual abuse. On some reservations, Indigenous women say they don’t know even one woman who has not been raped. Consequently, they tell their daughters what to do when—not if—raped.”
#MMIW is also an interdisciplinary issue, jeopardizing both the well-being of Indigenous communities and the environment. A study from Vanderbilt University identified that hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” on native land creates a “hotspot” for violence against Indigenous women. Private companies often export workers to “man camps” that are near native reservations to extract resources from the ground. The proximity of male workers to the reservation creates opportunities for non-native male workers to pursue and commit sexual violence against the women living there. The study found that there is a positive correlation between man camps and violence against Indigenous women.
In terms of the #MMIW movement, it is also important to consider the role that the media plays in broadcasting these missing or murdered person cases. Missing white woman syndrome refers to the phenomenon in which missing or murdered white women receive more media attention in comparison to Black or Indigenous women who are missing or murdered. The lack of coverage these cases receive also contributes to the greater issue, deterring community members from sharing resources and information and notifying locals about these cases of violence.
During this season, it is important to remember the injustices that Indigenous communities still endure, chiefly #MMIW. Take time to educate your family members about these issues and support the local tribes in your communities.
For example, St. Louis was a mound city for the Cherokee Nation and other tribal groups. You can visit the Big Mound Monument at the corner of Mound and 4th Street near North Riverfront. To learn more about Indigenous culture, the Kathryn M. Buder Center for American Indian Studies at Washington University in St. Louis is an educational resource that hosts different lectures and events. Many cultural events also happen at Tower Grove Park, which has a stream that is sacred to the Osage Nation. There are many local ways to support Indigenous people and educate yourself about the non-eurocentric history of North America.
Alongside local resources, there are many national movements and resources to support. For example, Native Hope mobilizes local tribes to speak up and question their local authorities. The U.S. Department of Indian Affairs also provides a comprehensive list of victimization rates for a plethora of topics, like sexual violence and human trafficking. Through increased awareness and collective action, our society can move to a point where Indigenous women can feel safe in their environment and identity.