A smoke screen fortified by the U.S. government and judiciary system has blinded society. This illusion promotes the supposed idea that because of recent progress in securing rights, job equity and educational opportunities, women no longer experience discrimination. However, this narrative ignores the harsh reality. The same systems that claim to protect women’s rights intentionally perpetuate their suffering. Nowhere is this more evident than in our treatment of Indigenous communities, where Native women suffer from countless acts of sexual violence that rarely are addressed.
Alaskan Indigenous communities contain some of the highest rates of sexual assault. These injustices that Indigenous women face stem from Alaska’s resource allocation. Alaskan Native villages have village officers, separate from America’s regular law enforcement. Sadly, this system fails Indigenous communities, as they can’t afford to pay quality officers, often leaving them to hire individuals with criminal records, including even registered sex offenders. As a result, these communities rely on VPSOs which are government-provided officers.
Nonetheless, the Alaskan government doesn’t hire nearly enough VPSOs, and currently, Indigenous villages are at an all-time low with “42 today.” Instead of investing more money and resources to support struggling Indigenous villages, the Governor of Alaska proposed cutting $3 million in funding from the VPSO program budget. This decision aims to avoid raising taxes and keep costs low for citizens while intentionally imposing inadequate safety resources in Indigenous communities.
Alaska spends the seventh highest amount on police and corrections in the United States, suggesting that the state may well consciously underfund law enforcement in Indigenous communities to keep taxes lower, despite having the ability to provide these communities with adequate resources. Indigenous women live in constant fear as men prey on them without consequence, a situation rooted in Alaska’s government’s failure to allocate adequate protection resources to Indigenous villages.
The judiciary system plays a significant role in perpetuating Indigenous suffering. In 1885, Congress passed the Major Crimes Act, which is still active today. The act enabled the federal government to exercise authority over Indigenous populations by overseeing and prosecuting crimes, such as rape, committed by Native individuals within their communities. The federal government took over most rape cases, excluding tribal jurisdiction, often prosecuting fewer of them. There are many unsolved cases and Indigenous women continue to suffer. The federal government has failed to act and perpetuates the cycle of injustice within Indigenous communities.
Another instance in which the U.S. justice system perpetuates Indigenous women’s suffering is through the Supreme Court’s decision in Oliphant v. Suquamish, which is still in effect today. It’s important to recognize that at least 86 percent of perpetrators in rape cases targeting Indigenous women are nonnative men. Oliphant v. Suquamish is a decision that eliminated tribal criminal jurisdiction over anyone who is not a member of a federally recognized tribe. Prosecution of nonnative abusers has suffered as a result. Indigenous women are forced to live in environments without any legal protection.
The United States is often acknowledged as a remarkable nation, unmatched by others. However, we have overlooked the atrocities committed by our government and justice system, particularly how the U.S. leverages these powers to perpetuate sexual violence in Indigenous communities. From the very beginning of American history, Indigenous communities have faced oppression and injustices, with rape being a prominent issue largely unreported in the media. It is crucial to acknowledge Native American suffering and take a stand against the terror enforced by the U.S. government and justice system. Educating ourselves about these issues is an essential first step toward fostering change.
Nat Bloom can be reached at [email protected]
