Injustice Against Native American Women

Throughout the course of American history, Native American women have repeatedly become primary targets of sexual violence from non-native men. Around one in three Native American women has been raped or had undergone attempted rape, which makes them the largest race to experience sexual abuse than any other race in the United States. Before any contact was established between the Natives and the European settlers, the Native population had thrived off the land and they had their own criminal justice systems, which was meant to help all Native citizens find justice (Griffith, 5). Unfortunately, their efficient way of life would soon be interrupted forever following the arrival of white setters upon their lands. When the white settlers first

Which means that even though the mass majority of the reported rapes against Native women are committed by white males, they rarely receive punishment since they don’t reside on the Indian reservations. Thus, giving the ‘okay’ to non-native men that they can specifically target Native people, mainly women, on their land because they can get away scot-free from the federal law. Plus, if a case was to be brought up to a federal level, there is little to no representation found to support Native American women and their cases. Due to this, many Native women have little to no protection from sexual violence, while their assailants will more than likely be left unpunished by the

The organization had completed a list of Native women’s reproductive rights, thus providing specific principles they believe are fundamental for every woman. Such as number 10 which states “The right to stop coerced sterilization” (Smith, 105). For Native women, their ability to give birth to the next generation of their people is continuously seen as an obstacle in obtaining their land and resources in the eyes of the government. Unfortunately, that involved unwilling sterilization of a large percentage of child bearing aged women, thus diminishing the population. The NAWHERC wants to make it clear that this is an outright attack against the continuation of their race, and that this violates basic human rights. Another policy is number 4 “The right to access safe, free, and/or affordable abortions, regardless of age, with confidentiality and free pre- and post-counseling” (Smith, 105). Not only has the government authorized the use of sterilization and hazardous contraceptives, but they also tightened up the abortion policies. In 1976, the IHS had stated that abortions wouldn’t be considered an option unless the mother’s life was in danger or the pregnancy was due to incest or rape, however, NAWHERC reviewed the policy in 2002 and found that 85 percent of the HIS units hadn’t followed procedure