More on the Problem of Rape on the Reservation

Following up on Amnesty International’s report on the high rate of rape among Native Americans, NPR has produced additional coverage of the issue this week:

Rape Cases on Indian Lands Go Uninvestigated
“The Justice Department found that one in three Native American women will be raped in her lifetime. In many cases, on rural reservations like Standing Rock, NPR found that there aren’t enough police to investigate sexual assaults, and few of the cases are prosecuted.”

Legal Hurdles Stall Rape Cases on Native Lands
“Tribal police cannot charge non-Indians with a crime on tribal land — only the U.S. attorney’s Office can. Tribal leaders say that in too many cases, no charges are filed at all.”

That last point is crucial – one of these pieces noted that about 80% of Native American victims describe their attacker as non-Native. The legal status and inability to prosecute, and perhaps awareness of these laws, have turned reservations into hunting grounds for rapists.

Locally, blogger true peace passes on an appeal from Amnesty International USA on this issue. See information on the campaign.