The Epidemic of Violence Against Indigenous Women
Native American Women Experience the Highest Rates of Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence
The statistics are alarming. Over 80% of Native American women have experienced violence. Well over half of all Native American women have been the victim of sexual violence, over half of all Native American women have suffered abuse from an intimate partner, and nearly half of all Native American women have been stalked. Native American Women are twice as likely to experience sexual assault compared to white women and are 3 times more likely to be murdered compared to white women (Policy Research Center). This article will explore how the violence currently inflicted upon indigenous women is the legacy of colonialism.
In her excellent video “Pocahontas Was a Mistake, and Here’s Why!” youtuber Lindsay Ellis deconstructs the 1995 animated Disney film Pocahontas and examines why the film is problematic. Glen Keane, supervising animator of the film was quoted as saying,” We’re doing a mature love story here, and we’ve got to draw her as such. She has to be sexy, this is a Disney version. This is not a documentary.” One may wonder why an animated film aimed at children would want the main protagonist to be “sexy.” The animated film Pocahontas is a prime example of the oversexualization of Native American women in pop culture.
Another example of this phenomenon is the existence of Indian costumes that are often worn during Halloween. A simple search on Amazon reveals many sexy Indian costumes with names such as “Tomahawk Hottie,” “Native American Temptress,” “Chief’s Desire Dress,” “Cherokee Hottie,” and “Indian Mistress.” These costumes reflect how society views Native American women as animalistic and sexually ravenous. Evidence of the oversexualization of Native American women also exists in everyday language. Ever hear of Squaw Valley or Squaw Humper Creek? Most people don’t realize “squaw” originates from certain Native American languages and means female genitalia (Bacigal, 2017). During the early days of colonization, white colonizers appropriated the word “squaw.” The word became synonymous with poverty and destitution, and was used to label prostitutes.
The oversexualization of indigenous women we see today is the direct result of colonization. During the initial stages of colonization, colonizers attempted to subjugate the indigenous, particularly indigenous women. This may be due to the high status many Native American women held prior to colonization. Native American women,”…could own land, divorce their husbands, exercise control over children and resources, and participate in tribal government” (Bacigal, 2017) . Some Native American groups were matriarchal, compared to colonial society many Native American communities were more egalitarian. Colonial leaders would not allow female Native American leaders to sign treaties. Colonizers may have felt their patriarchal order was under threat. They responded by using extreme sexual violence against indigenous women.
Trigger Warning, here are some accounts of the sexual violence inflicted on indigenous women:
“Two of the best looking squaws were lying in such a position, and from the appearance of the genital organs and of their wounds, there can be no doubt that they were first ravished and then shot dead. Nearly all of the dead were mutilated” (Bacigal, 2017).
“While I was in the boat, I captured a very beautiful woman, whom the Lord Admiral [Columbus] gave to me. When I had taken her to my cabin she was naked — as was their custom. I was filled with a desire to take my pleasure with her and attempted to satisfy my desire. She was unwilling, and so treated me with her nails that I wished I had never begun. I then took a piece of rope and whipped her soundly, and she let forth such incredible screams that you would not have believed your ears. Eventually we came to such terms, I assure you, that you would have thought she had been brought up in a school for whores.” -Excerpt from a letter written by Michele de Cuneo, aristocratic shipmate of Christopher Columbus.
Examining the present day, a lot of the violence faced by indigenous women is connected to the construction of oil pipelines. Construction of oil pipelines, such as the Keystone XL pipeline in Montana, obviously requires a labor force. “Man camps” are established where the pipelines are being built, these areas are often on indigenous lands. These temporary communities house the thousands of workers needed for the construction. Because historically, Indigenous women have been marginalized, oversexualized, and devalued, these temporary construction workers may feel they can abuse the indigenous women they come into contact with, with impunity. Sadly, these predators often get away with their crimes. In 2017, 37% of legal cases on Native American lands were dropped by US attorneys (Martin, 2019). One reason many culprits are not held accountable for their crimes may be jurisdictional ambiguity. It is often unclear if these crimes should be investigated by the state police, the FBI, or the Tribal police force. Another reason is plain, old apathy. When a white woman goes missing the media goes crazy, the police investigate like their lives depend on it. Missing indigenous women do not receive the same attention.
It is important to note that the majority of sexual violence inflicted upon Native American women (96% of all cases) is perpetrated by non-indigenous people (read: white men). This just illustrates that the violence aimed at Indigenous women since the early days of colonization continues to the present day. If you would like to make a difference, consider making a donation to the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women.
References:
Bacigal, L. (2017, December 7). Squaw: The Colonisation and Appropriation of Native Women’s Bodies. Galway, Ireland.
Martin, N. (2019, October 15). The Connection Between Pipelines and Sexual Violence. Retrieved from Sold Short/ The New Republic: https://newrepublic.com/article/155367/connection-pipelines-sexual-violence