Lakota Women

Women are the Earth: The Impact of Sexual Violence on Lakota Women and What They're Doing About It

Lauren Pereny

// Introduction

It is a fair statement to say the United States is a diverse place. Not only in race, of course, but also in religions practiced, languages spoken, sexual orientation, perspectives, ideas…the list goes on. The American Indian community is no different; no two communities are the same. When it comes to being a woman in the United States, like myself, the sentiment is similar. Each one of us lead different lives, have different life experiences and different goals. There is one reality all of us must face, though: sexual assault. The Office on Women’s Health defines sexual assault as “any type of forced or coerced sexual contact or behavior that happens without consent” (Office on Women’s Heath). One in five women will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime. The numbers are even more bleak for American Indian women; American Indian women are twice as likely to be raped or sexually assaulted in their lifetime (Bureau of Justice Statistics).

// A Brief History of Lakota Women

The makeup of the Lakota Community is very different from the Anglo-European constructs we are used to. In many spaces today, gender roles are considered a negative concept, while gender differences among the Lakota were considered complementary. Lakota women were consulted before large decisions were made and they were even women in positions of power such as warriors, medicine women, or spiritual leaders. The Black Hills Center for Indian Studies is quoted saying “In Sioux society, men were the protectors, the providers; the women were the homemakers. […] The Lakota woman was a total individual, and her physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental makeup were not derived from the Lakota male.” (Mello, 36) The Lakota are a matrilineal community, meaning descent is traced through the mother’s family line.

Image 1 - Lakota Mural in Mission, South Dakota

I write this history to combat preconceived notions and stereotypes of native women and to understand both the contemporary and historical lives of Lakota women. It helps us better understand the context in which sexual abuse and violence take place.

// Colonization

We are unable to talk about issues of sexual and domestic violence in a contemporary sense without speaking of the historical context that plays a significant role in the construction of their current reality. As quoted in Amnesty International’s publication Maze of Injustice, Jacqueline Agtuca says “Sexual assault rates and violence against Native American women did not just drop from the sky. They are a process of history.” (Amnesty International, 15) When contact was made with settlers, both gender roles and kinship organization changed. Government officials wanted to interact with male leaders and encouraged male tribe members to become the head of households. Amnesty International, again in Maze of Injustice, makes the argument that gender-based violence was an integral part of furthering assimilation and was used as a “tool of conquest” (Amnesty International, 15). Kimberly Robertson argues that “If sexual violence is not simply a tool of patriarchy, but is also a tool of colonialism and racism, then entire communities of color are the victims of sexual violence.” (Smith, 71)

Racism and demeaning media tropes contribute to the dehumanization of native women’s bodies, an unavoidable consequence of hundreds of years of mistreatment that continues today. Smith also says that the more equal traditions of tribal communities threatened the white male dominated patriarchal society we live in, so violence was used to combat this threat. (Smith, 78) “In the colonial imagination,” she argues, “native bodies are immanently polluted with sexual sin” (Smith, 73). This has real ramifications. Amnesty International reported that although race is not always accurately recorded, in Oklahoma and Alaska, 58 and 57.7 percent of perpetuators were non-native men, respectively, in the 18 months prior to the research being done (Amnesty International, 5). This is also related to the incredibly complex questions of jurisdiction on and off of reservations and tribal sovereignty.

// Contemporary Lakota Communities

Colonization, of course, has helped shape current American Indian communities and the Lakota are no different. High sexual assault rates exist in a context of high unemployment, high poverty, and high rates of substance abuse. In South Dakota, 43% of American Indian women live below the poverty line (Institute on Women’s Policy Research). The New York Times reported that American Indians make up 10% of South Dakota’s population, but account for 40% of victims in all sexual assault cases in the state (Williams). Although statistical data and comprehensive recording of cases is lacking, the prevalence is apparent in the words spoken by community members. For example, in the New York Times article previously cited, a health advocate in South Dakota named Charon Asetoyer was quoted saying: “We should never have a woman come into the office saying, ‘I need to learn more about Plan B for when my daughter gets raped,’” (Williams). Even with more accurate record keeping of assaults reported and perpetrators actually convicted, the numbers would still not be accurate. RAINN, the Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network reports that on a national level, 68% of sexual assaults are not reported. (RAINN) We can only imagine what these numbers are among native people, when the majority of assaults are committed by family members or other people close to the victim.

// How the Lakota People Are Responding to the Epidemic

White Buffalo Woman Calf Society

Founded in 1977 on the Rosebud Reservation, the White Buffalo Woman Calf Society has been significantly influential in leading the charge in supporting native women that have experienced both sexual abuse and domestic violence. In 1980, it became the “first women’s shelter on an Indian reservation in the United States” (White Buffalo Calf Woman Society). They provide social services for those suffering abuses such as legal help and a 24/7 support call-line, as well as the shelter and support for their children. Their philosophy is based on the traditional Lakota teaching of the White Buffalo Calf Woman by seeking “peace, understanding, and quality of life for all people” (White Buffalo Calf Woman Society).

Image 2 - White Buffalo Calf Woman Society Logo

South Dakota Coalition Ending Domestic and Sexual Violence

The South Dakota Coalition Ending Domestic and Sexual Violence (SDCEDSV) is an organization working to unite programs working to end sexual violence in South Dakota, both on reservations and off, but represent women of all races, sexual orientations, and economic statuses. The SDCEDSV builds coalitions at state, local, regional, tribal, and federal level, as well as provides supports to shelters and other social services centers, as well as working in legislation and policy development (South Dakota Coalition Ending Domestic and Sexual Violence).

Native American Women’s Health Education Resource Center

The Native American Women’s Health Education Resource Center (NAWHERC) provides services to Native women as well as advocates for “Native women at the community, national, and international levels to protect our reproductive health and rights.” (Native American Women’s Health Education Resource Center) The NAWHERC is currently making huge strides, with the help of Lakota activist Sunny Clifford, to make Plan B, an emergency contraceptive accessible and affordable, necessary in locations where rape is common.

// How the Lakota People Are Responding to the Epidemic

When he signed the Tribal Law and Order Act (TLOA), President Obama said this violence is “an assault on our national conscience that we can no longer ignore.” This act attempts to reduce crime on reservations and allows for special training to interview victims and collect evidence (Rosenthal). Although sexual violence is a reality we must face, and can no longer ignore in the words of President Obama, it is important to recognize the work being done in communities such as the Lakota to implement services to support and lift up victims and not forget the historical and contemporary context this violence takes place.

// Further Reading

Of course, not all literature on this issue could be used in this case study. For continued education on topic, I recommend visiting the following resources: Assessing the Justice System Response to Violence Against Women, Rape on the Reservation, the Oglala Lakota Website, and Gender Differences in the Historical Trauma Response Among the Lakota.

// Works Cited

Office on Women’s Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “EPublications”. Last modified September 18, 2015. http://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/sexual-assault.html.

Perry, Steven W. “A BJS Statistical Profile, 1992-2002: American Indians and Crime”. Bureau of Justice Statistics. Accessed April 25, 2016. http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/aic02.pdf.

Mello, Christina G. 2004. "Gender and Empowerment: Contemporary Lakota Women of Rosebud." McNair Scholars Journal: Vol. 8: Iss. 1, Article 6. Accessed February 8, 2016. http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/mcnair/vol8/iss1/6.

Amnesty International. 2007. “Maze of Injustice: The Failure to Protect Indigenous Women from Sexual Violence in the USA. Accessed February 8, 2016. http://www.amnestyusa.org/pdfs/MazeOfInjustice.pdf.

Robertson, Kimberly. 2012. “Rerighting the Historical Record: Violence Against Native Women and the South Dakota Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault”. Wicazo Sa Review 27 (2). University of Minnesota Press: 21–47. doi:10.5749/wicazosareview.27.2.0021.

Smith, Andrea. 2003. “Not an Indian Tradition: The Sexual Colonization of Native Peoples”. Hypatia 18 (2). [Hypatia, Inc., Wiley]: 70–85. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3811012.

Institute for Women’s Policy Research. 2016. “Status of Women in the States”. Accessed April 3, 2016. http://statusofwomendata.org/explore-the-data/state-data/south-dakota/#employment-earnings.

Williams, Timothy. “For Native American Women, Scourge of Rape, Rare Justice.” New York Times, May 22, 2012. Accessed April 3, 2016. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/23/us/native-americans-struggle-with-high-rate-of-rape.html.

RAINN: Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network. “Reporting Rates”. Accessed April 22, 2016. https://rainn.org/get-information/statistics/reporting-rates.

White Buffalo Calf Woman Society. “Find Help”. Accessed April 22, 2016. http://www.wbcws.org/whatwedo/.

South Dakota Coalition Ending Domestic and Sexual Violence. “Mission Statement”. Accessed April 22, 2016. http://www.sdcedsv.org/aboutus/missionstatement/.

Native American Women’s Health Education Resource Center. “Who We Are”. Accessed April 22, 2016. http://www.nativeshop.org/.

Rosenthal, Lynn. 2010. “For Native American Women, a Triumph of Justice”. The White House Blog. January 18. https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/01/18/native-american-women-a-triumph-justice.