Addressing Sexual Assault in Indigenous Communities

According to the 2010 National Institute for Sexual Violence Survey:

• More than one-quarter of women who identified as American Indian or Alaskan Native reported being a victim of rape in their lifetime.
• 4 out of every 10 American Indian or Alaska Native women have experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
• Nearly half (45.3%) of American Indian or Alaska Native men experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner during their lifetime

U.S. research

• Sexual Assault in Indian Country: Confronting Sexual Violence (an NSVRC document)
• 2008 Final Report on Creative Civil Remedies Against Non-Indian Offenders in Indian Country
• Final Report: Focus Group on Public Law 280 and the Sexual Assault of Native Women

Cultural Traditions & Violence Response:

• Listen to the Grandmothers Video Guide and Resource: Incorporating Tradition into Contemporary Responses to Violence Against Native Women

Prevention in the U.S.

• Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault & Stalking Prevention and Intervention in Rural Native American Communities: Training, Research and Education Programs

U.S. groups:

• Clan Star: Increasing Safety for Native Women
• Indiana Coalition Against Sexual Assault (INCASA)
• Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board Domestic and Sexual Violence Prevention Project
• Visioning B.E.A.R. Circle Intertribal Coalition
• Minnesota Indian Women’s Sexual Assault Coalition

International Efforts:

• National Aboriginal Circle Against Family Violence (Quebec, Canada)
• Aboriginal Health Services Yorgum (Melbourne, Australia)

Curriculum:

• Walking in Balance with All Our Relations: An American Indian primary prevention bystander intervention curriculum based on indigenous pre-colonization values from the Visioning B.E.A.R. Circle Intertribal Coalition.

PDF Document: Protecting the Circle: Aboriginal Men Ending Violence Against Women (Toronto)

Also, see the following PreventConnect web conference, Bridging Knowledge in Child Sexual Abuse Prevention: Promising Practices in Indigenous Communities and Evaluating Culturally- Relevant Sexual Violence Prevention Initiatives: Lessons learned with the Visioning B.E.A.R. Intertribal Coalition Inc. Violence Prevention Curriculum.