‘Is this the message that we should pass down to our youth?’ — One of the first Native American congresswomen Deb Haaland refuses to let the violence against Indigenous women be overlooked any longer.
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In US news, the first Indigenous congresswoman Rep. Deb Haaland called for more resources to end violence against Indigenous women.
Debra Haaland, (D-NM) Congresswoman: ‘In 2016 it was reported that 8 in 10 Native women had survived serious violence during their lifetimes. 50% have suffered sexual violence and 90 percent of these cases have involved a non-native perpetrator. I appreciate the recent work that tribal governments have done to shed light on the silent crisis of gender violence and violence against women, that have gone overlooked in Indian country for far too long. Most of all I thank the Native women who have endured generations of systematic violence, who are ten times more likely to be murdered, and 4 times more likely to be sexually assaulted when compared to the national average.
Further exacerbating this issue the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights ‘Broken Promises’ report states that crime and victimization in Indian country is caused by the systematic underfunding of tribal law enforcement and criminal justice systems coupled with pre existing barriers. In communities with the nation’s highest rates of crime that are comparable to dense urban cities like Detroit and Los Angeles. I’m building on legislation like Savannah’s act and Vanua to provide our women with programmatic resources that will expand to urban areas where many Native Americans are frequently overlooked in this silent crisis. My work will also provide resources to families of missing women.
Part of of redefining who we are starts at home. Last week at the University of New Mexico, the first major public discussion of Pueblo feminism took place during the 20th Annual American Indian Studies Association conference. During a panel, students described the presence of women and two spirit people in modern tribal governance. One of the female students said quote, I am never going to be a governor or hold a leadership position in my tribe, because these are only positions reserved for males. This is probably why Deb Haaland ran for Congress, because she knew she couldn’t have political power within our existing system, unquote. I asked, is this the message that we should pass down to our youth?
Some tribes continue to practice a European tradition of patriarchal governments that refuse to allow women a seat at the table. As another one of these bright young women said, ‘we are survivors of colonialism, but we don’t have to continue to live in it.’ To the students who organized this discussion to shed light on the issue. Thank you for your bravery and your strength. Your leadership is what keeps me moving forward. I see you, and I hear you.’
#DebHaaland #NativeAmerican #IndigenousWomen #Indigenous
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