Essay on Native American Issues in Today's Society

Power can be viewed as the ability to influence and/or control others. Another flaw about reservations is the fact that they are not totally governed by Native American representatives. The U.S. government actually has tight control over the majority, if not all, reservations (Perry, 2002, p 233). This tight control has left the Native American population powerless in terms of self- regulation. Despite the fact that Native American government do exist,

Nearly every Native American Indian tribe has experienced some kind of neglect or discrimination. The white man has forcefully moved tribes from their homes, broken

Domestic violence and abuse can happen to anyone, yet the problem is overlooked, excused, or denied, like the case of Native American women. Until, March 2015, there is no loaw to help Native American women when their non-Native American husbands or boyfriends abuse them when the act takes place on the resveration and even when the law is passed there is still no law to stop non- Native Americans who are strangers from commiting these crimes on the reservation. What makes someone think that just because the law can't touch you when commiting such a crime against Native Americans that it's okay to hurt them on the reservation? It doesn't. These women are just as important as the rest of us, so it's time to stand up and stop abuse from happening to all of us, regardless of our gender, race, sexual orentation, or age. Abuse is abuse, let's team up and do something about it.

Consequently, at the community level with the traumatic impact that has resulted in alcoholism, sexual abuse and the fracture of the American Indian family system, we have lost the benefits of a wholesome community and all they have to offer in cultural diversity and preservation of nature. The side effect of these traumas is; broken homes, dysfunctions and moral decay in communities. In this case, the alarming rate of sexual abuse of children in Native American communities. Whenever, a child is sexually abused, the entire society is affected by the

The United States of America is known for its strong democracy and high level of freedom. Before all of this, came the gruesome reality of taking over the land in which Native Americans lived on. In modern day, we live comfortably because we have the freedom of speech, freedom to protest, and freedom of religion. We have a different relationship with nature in comparison to other people. There are tribes that believe in egalitarian biocentrism because they give value to entities based on their beliefs. Culture found within the Native Americans left in the U.S. is to be respected because our ancestors have done nothing but destroy the life that the natives knew and loved. Today, there is another issue against the Native Americans, specifically

Although Lambert and the FBI agent Jane solve the case, after reading those final words, we know that that's not the case number of the women on the reservation. According to the Department of Justice Study, “More than 4 in 5 American Indian and Alaska Native women (84.3 percent) have experienced violence in their lifetime. This includes -56.1 percent who have experienced sexual violence. 55.5 percent who have experienced physical violence by an intimate partner. 48.8 percent who have experienced stalking. 66.4 percent who have experienced psychological aggression by an intimate partner.” (André B. Rosay, Ph.D., 2016). And Wind River brought those statistics to life, which is bound to leave the audience leaving awful, angry, something they are not going to forget anytime soon, and I was left with questions like- how can something like happen in the same country that I live in? How is this not one of the top problems anyone’s addressing? No one can understand the problems the Native people go through every day. Whatever the solution is, the journey seems to resemble as the opening scene of the movie- long, cold and an exhausting

Imagine a world where your life is all survival, or pleasing your master enough to where you can eat. The majority of the United States’ population has access to shelter and food. That was the life for the the slaves and native americans. Both of these groups were forced by the Americans to do things that were out of their will, and if they didn’t, they were punished. The horrors that they had to face are terrible, but need to be shared to make sure history doesn’t repeat.

Many are familiar with the horrifying relationship between the United States government and the Native population. There is a long history of forced relocation, betrayed treaties, forced cultural assimilation, massacres, and that is just the beginning.

On March 7, 2013, tribal courts secured the right to prosecute interracial domestic violence committed on tribal lands. This right was a critical one to obtain. According to a 2010 national survey, Native American women living on tribal lands experience significantly high rates of interracial violence (Rosay). However, until the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 (VAWA 2013) introduced Special Domestic Violence Criminal Jurisdiction (SDVCJ), Native women’s legal options were severely limited. The implementation of SDVCJ has allowed 18 tribes to prosecute Non-Indian abusers, expand resources and services for survivors and offenders alike, and glean powerful insights toward future improvements from the Act’s realities. SDVCJ is

According to information from the U.S Census Bureau there are 5.4 million American Indians/Alaska Natives in the U.S. This represents only 2% of the U.S. total population. Despite the Native population being so small, this demographic of women have the highest rate of sexual violence in the country. Indigenous women are 2.5 times more likely to experience sexual assault than other women in the U.S. ⅓ of women from this population are assaulted/raped in their lifetimes and ⅗ experience domestic violence. Most of this violence comes from non-native men. “According to the US Department of Justice, in at least 86 per cent of the reported cases of rape or sexual assault against American Indian and Alaska Native women, survivors report that the perpetrators are non-Native men.” (Amnesty USA)

I imagine her to be multi-ethnic, like me. Her grandfather is Italian, having fled Mussolini’s dictatorship for South America, finally settling in Peru and falling in love with a native Quechuan woman. As a result of her mixed background, my friend has adopted numerous perspectives and is perpetually adopting new ones. She has learned how to host a good fiesta for both sides of her family, to prepare Peruvian ceviche and huancayo-style potatoes as well as Italian focaccia bread and tiramisu. Like me, she’s a huge foodie and dedicated cook; she is unafraid to experiment with combining different cooking styles and spices into her own scrumptious creations. When we chat, she’ll describe what it’s like to hike up the stark, steep slopes of the Andes mountains, bargain her way through the labyrinthine, multi-storey markets in Lima, and dance in vibrant costume during the March carnivals. She’ll teach me all about the different cultures and customs of her people, from street slang and idioms to folklore and silly New Year’s superstitions. Late at night, we’ll be up laughing while attempting to show one another the steps of some of our traditional dances. Hopefully I’ll be learning a

Gender violence has focused on the patriarchal system of power, where an individual’s race put children and women at risk. The racist social attitudes that dehumanized Indigenous Women and children have permitted criminals to commit acts of violence and abuse. The social position of Indigenous Women became inferior and the sexual abuse and exploitation introduced diseases in epidemic proportions.

Caitlin Mahserjian, a Law Clerk in the New York City Law Department, argues her point that the government’s “absence of legislation, insufficient legislation, and failure to enforce existing legislation results in victims being left unprotected at the hands of their government” (1). Even though the government has organizations available for women and children who have been affected by domestic violence such as BWJP and The Center of Domestic Violence, records show that most victims do not receive sufficient treatment. The United States’ Constitution has laws regarding domestic violence; however, statistics show that the percentage of women in the US being held captive by this crime is the same in other third world countries that do not have these laws in place.

Through my completion of reading and watching the material for this lesson, I have discovered the staggering data that shows how often Native women are victims of domestic and sexual violence. In fact, these women are 2.5 times more likely to be raped and one in three of them will be during their lives (“No Justice for Alaskan”). How can the statistics be so dramatically outrageous but the resources available are considerably less even when they need that much more help? Why isn’t the justice system or the government taking this horrendous problem seriously by funding programs, providing training for police, and having an adequate number of officers? What are the reasons that conviction rates are so low when Native women report their assaults? Is it because they are Native or because of where they are located?

Imagine being told that if you migrate to a certain location you'll be helped with nutrition and your finance will be covered. Sounds good right? Well this is what the American government promised the Native Americans. A promise that wasn't granted. Many reservations have actually created a sense of confinement and detachment. The reservations have limited resources which separates them from the American Culture and society. This is shown through the laws we've passed to “aid” them, and the battle for other native Americans to stand up for their rights. Also their constant struggle for justice.