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O'siyo Brothers and Sister!
Last week's editorial focused on the injustice
toward Native Peoples inherent in the dominant society's system of
justice.
Two late breaking stories came in just as that issue was being
distributed. It was noted those two articles would be featured in this
issue's justice section. They are, in fact, included, as promised.
The first documents the failure of justice, particularly with Native
American women, who are, according to Amnesty International, far more
vulnerable to rape and assault, and far less likely to see their
attackers brought to justice than any other group in this country.
Amnesty International documented just how at risk Native Women are, and
how likely they are to becoming victims.
National Public Radio did a feature piece - the entire segment is
available for listening at
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9803207
Several newspapers, both Native oriented and mainstream, ran articles
and editorials regarding the abuses of Native American and Native
Alaskan women - some of which are included in this issue.
These articles make the point that most of the rapes and murders of our
women are not carried out by men of their own tribe, but by outsiders.
If one third of the women of any nation on earth were attacked and raped
by citizens of neighboring nations, there would be a cry around the
world to stop what amounts to an act of war by one nation against
another.
So there are two responsibilities here - the US government is
responsible for stopping its citizens atrocities against other nations'
women. If it won't fulfill that responsibility, they should be hauled
before the United Nations, just as the US has done other nations
carrying out predatory acts against neighboring countries.
And the tribes must not allow our women's safety to rely on the
obviously inadequate protections of the dominant society. It's all
fine and well to talk about sovereignty, but just how independent are we
as nations if we cannot and will not protect our own women and children
from foreign predators?
This is so sad that this truth exists. It is good this much focus is
being directed at this appalling issue. Shining the light of truth
on something so terrible is the only real way to reduce or, hopefully,
eliminate it. It must not begin and end with one week of sensational
headlines.
Shine a flashlight of rats or roaches and they scurry back into darkness
where they continue to despoil and ravage. The same is true of dark
truths. It takes more than a flash of truth to end them. Simply driving
this problem into the dark is not the answer.
Mistreatment of our beautiful women must not be reduced to a few sound
bites and some hand wringing. It must be attacked and dealt with on an
ongoing basis.
I pray this will be so.
Dohiyi Ani Oginalii
Gary Smith (*,*)
wotanging@bellsouth.net
P. O. Box 672168 (`-') gars@nanews.org
Marietta, GA 30006, U.S.A. ===w=w===
http://www.nanews.org
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CONTENTS LIST OF ARTICLES IN
VOLUME 15, ISSUE 018
FOR ARTICLES GOT TO
WOTANGING IKCHE-Native American News
Editorial Section: . End The Violence
- Editorial: Native Women: Traumatic Justice
- `i'll Never Forget'
- Incredible Injustice For Indigenous Women
- Statistics On Violence Nothing New
- Improved Community Policing Needed
- A `great Rift' Widens
- American Indian Populations Face Aids Threat
- Hundreds Attend Dedication At Sand Creek
- Meth On Wind River: 'It's Sad As Hell'
- Seneca Say That Thruway Fight Only The Beginning
- Connecticut Court Ruling Backs Tribal Sovereignty
- Religious Leader: Protect Hopi Tradition
- Group On Crusade To Dismantle Salmon-Killing Dams
- For Native Americans, Jamestown A Painful Symbol
- Utes' Decision To Ban Flag Out Of Respect
- Lumbee Recognition: A Tribal Misstep
- Financial Literacy May Be Key To Solving Poverty
- Businesses Come Alive At Cheyenne River
- Cherokee Nation Passes Language Resolution
- Giago: Honoring Those Who Died At Washita
- Yellow Bird: Little Conservation Efforts Add Up
- Cucapa Zapatista Camp Defends Fishing Rights
- Zapatistas Select Yaqui To Host Summit
- Canadian Settlement Enters Crucial Phase
- Nunavut Blames Ottawa For Stalled Oil Development
- Alleged Assault Victim Taken Into Custody
- Court Restores Hunting Enforcement On Indian Land
- Native Justice-- Native American Women Suffering Shocking Rates Of
Rape
-- Navajo Judiciary Committee Chairman Spends Sovereignty Day Working To
Fund Navajo Nation Supreme Court
- Rustywire: Comes With War
- Verse: Hawaiian Book Of Days
- Del "Abe" Jones Poems: Earth Day
- Canada's Food Guide Targets Fn, Inuit, Metis
- Playing For Keeps
- Powwows Can Be Stressful, Satisfying At Cheyenne River
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