Support for Native Survivors

We use the term ‘Native’ to refer to American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and other Indigenous peoples of North America. We also recognize that individuals and communities may use a variety of terms to describe their identities, including Tribal affiliations, Indigenous, First Nations, or other culturally specific names.  

Statistics on Native Survivors

  • 60% of Native LGBTQ2S+ respondents reported having experienced domestic violence in a 2021 Sovereign Bodies Institute survey. 
  • In a study of Two-Spirit women, 78% reported being physically assaulted and 85% were sexually assaulted- this is four times higher than women in the general population. 
  • 45% of gay, bisexual, and Two-Spirit men have reported sexual abuse or assault by someone other than their partner. 
  • A 2011 study done by the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force, Two-Spirit participants reported the following: 
  • 56% of Two-Spirit transgender participants attempted suicide  
  • 45% reported family violence   
  • 55% reported being harassed by shelter staff when at a shelter while 29% were turned away altogether   
  • 22% were sexually assaulted by residents or staff 
  • Native survivors are more likely to be physically injured to the point of requiring medical help while also less likely to have access to services like hospitalization and sexual assault forensic kits. 


Barriers Faced by Native Survivors

Violence against Native survivors, particularly women, is largely not investigated by the federal government.   

  • The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) includes a provision for Native tribes to exercise Special Domestic Violence Criminal Jurisdiction (SDVCJ) over non-Native perpetrators of domestic violence—the demographic most responsible for violence against Native people. In 2018, through VAWA SDVCJ, 128 defendants were prosecuted. In 2019, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) closed zero cases of sexual assault from a non-Native perpetrator and a Native survivor/ victim. 
  • No federal agency collects data on Two Spirit and Native LGBTQ+ people who go missing or are murdered. The only agency that formally collects data on this is the Sovereign Bodies Institute (SBI), an organization that researches gender and sexual violence against Native people, including information about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People (MMIWP). However, since local law enforcement often does not accurately document Two Spirit people’s identities, the data that SBI is able to gather is still limited. 

The history in the United States of colonization and genocide followed by continuous attempts to destroy Native cultures by stealing land and resources from Native people has had long-lasting and pervasive impacts on Native communities . 

  • The resulting poverty has a direct connection to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit crisis. In a 2020 report from the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center, “To’ Kee Skuy’ Soo Ney-Wo-Chek’: I Will See You Again in a Good Way”, Christina Lastra says: 
  • “I think that we’re an obvious vulnerable population, you know? When people who are evil see vulnerability or they see something that is stereotyping or something dysfunctional within a people, then they’re going to exploit that.”  
  • The forced assimilation of Native people through tactics like child removal and boarding schools has also led to a learned normalization of abuse and gendered violence. Also, from “ To’ Kee Skuy’ Soo Ney-Wo-Chek’: I Will See You Again in a Good Way”, Yurok Tribal Police Chief O’Rourke said:   
  • ”Our women are learning that it’s okay to be abused. […] Our young men are learning that it’s okay to be the abuser. That’s what the norm is. And then not only that, you also have a disconnect from the culture […] [Our] Creator gave us the tools to be able to protect ourselves spiritually. But yet when you have that dysfunction, you have that disconnect from the culture.”   


Reminders and Affirmations for Native/Indigenous Survivors

  • Domestic and sexual violence is not traditional. Multigenerational trauma can be stopped. Connecting with other Native survivors as well as friends, family, and trusted community members can challenge cultural acceptance of domestic violence. 
  • You deserve to receive services from Native providers who personally understand your cultural identity. Native survivors who receive supportive services that are centered on Indigenous values and worldviews and led by Native providers share that the healing is more personal and resonates more deeply.  
  • Follow what makes you feel good in the healing process. As one provider says in an Urban Indian Health Institute 2022 report, “One day we could do a protection order and then we’ll go kayaking and learn water songs.” Many Native survivors find deep grounding in cultural practices such as plant medicine, beading, and sewing, and in traditional ceremonial practices like smudging, sweat lodge, purification ceremonies, and dancing. 
  • You are connected to nature, your ancestors, and your community—no act of violence can take away that connection away or lessen the value of your place in it.  


Resources

Stronghearts Native Helpline is a culturally-appropriate, anonymous and confidential service available 24/7 nationwide. Call or text 1-844 7NATIVE (762-8483) or go to strongheartshelpline.org to chat. 

National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center provides culturally grounded resources, technical assistance and training, and policy development to strengthen Tribal sovereignty and end violence against American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women and communities. 

Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women is dedicated to eradicating violence against Native women and children by championing social change through training and technical assistance, policy advocacy, and support. 

Sovereign Bodies Institute (SBI) built on Indigenous traditions of data gathering and knowledge transfer to create, disseminate, and put into action research on gender and sexual violence against Indigenous people. Though SBI is no longer in operation, their research is still available at their website. 

The Anti-Violence Project has a 24-hour hotline for LGBTQ+ survivors to call for confidential support: 212-714-1141    

In Our Own Voices, a project partner of the Institute, is a leading national organization giving voice to the needs and challenges of Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming communities, as well as LGBT Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities. IOOV seeks to: develop the leadership of LGBTQ POC, strengthen the voices of LGBTQ POC, and increase our capacity for combating oppression and marginalization.