Subcommittee on Native American Affairs
The Tekakwitha Conference Keynote on Human Trafficking - Missing and Murdered Women
By: Fr. Michael Carson | Assistant Director, Native American Affairs
At the 2023 Tekakwitha Conference, Fr. David Bailey, Felicitas Onetti and I gave a presentation concerning human trafficking and missing and murdered Native women. My part was to explain both the need for Natives to be involved in addressing this issue, and why it is so prevalent in many Native communities.
The need for Natives to be involved.
- Language Barriers
Most Natives are English speakers. But there are words and phrases that exist in Native languages that are difficult to translate into English. It is not only the words, but the meaning behind the words that is important. The best way to have a window on the culture is to start with the language.
- Customs that allow programs to be more effective.
One size does not fit all. Ideas, programs, and initiatives that work in one culture will not always work in a different culture. Further, there is not one “Native American Culture.” Natives are more like Europeans. There are vast differences in Native cultures, depending on lands and tribes. Even tribes that live next to each other have a different historical narrative. Putting the work and effort into adapting the outreach to the vastly different Native communities is one effective way to challenge human traffickers and to end this violence, especially against women and children.
- Getting Natives Involved
In order to put in the work and effort with different tribal communities, the first and most important activity is listening, especially to Native community elders. There is a strong dislike in Native community for them to be talked to rather than listened to. They know how to work in their communities. They know what help they need. The response is far greater when Natives are talking to Natives, especially when personal stories are used of those that have been hurt by human trafficking.
- The Importance of Native Survivors of Human Trafficking
Survivors are the strongest weapon that communities have to combat human trafficking among Natives. Some victim assistance programs currently incorporate “a peer-to-peer counseling model” and often hire survivors to provide either some or all of the services to clients. Victims seek “non-judgmental support” from those who have been in their situation before. Due to the high level of distrust that Natives have with law enforcement, a program with a peer-to-peer design could be extremely beneficial. A program like this provides victims with the help they need, and it will gather information on other possible victims. Peer-led services reduce or remove the cultural and language barriers that most victims of human trafficking experience.
Ten Reasons Why Human Trafficking is Pervasive in Indian Country
One: Pervasive Poverty
Poverty puts pressure on families and individuals and sometimes pushes them into desperate situations in order to meet their basic needs for survival. Trying to find money for housing or food leads to taking chances that otherwise individuals would not take.
Two: Overlapping Police Jurisdictions
Jurisdictional inquiries in Native are complex. Often, there is overlap in jurisdiction. The line where tribal authority ends and federal or state authority begins is blurred. This is one of the major reasons why there is a historical lack in prosecution of crimes committed against Native American women on tribal lands.
Three: Isolation of Many Communities
Many reservations are large in land area but have little population. The most critical problem is the difficulty in sharing information. Further, isolated communities tend to become more insular when these types of incidents happen. There also might be some fear and trepidation of those who are from outside of their community.
Four: Misinformation by Human Traffickers
Some criminals in human trafficking make the mistake of thinking that if they are not Native, they cannot be arrested by tribal police or be prosecuted by tribal courts. This thinking is wrong but still persists.
Five: Closeness to the Canadian Border or the Mexican Border
Immigration is directly linked to human trafficking. Many reservations that are near U.S. borders have a vast area and low population. Those who are involved in smuggling see reservations as an ideal place to hide drugs, weapons and people.
Six: Lack of Information
Along with the lack of resources, there is also a concern about the lack of information. Until recently, crime statistics were not even gathered for information about missing and murdered Native women and human trafficking. Although this has changed in recent years, there is still a lot of work to be done to make the gathering of information about Native peoples a national priority.
Seven: Cultural Barriers
Cultural barriers not only include language, but also who Natives trust, how are they perceived, the way information is shared, can determine which programs will be successful.
Eight: The Lack of Resources
The scarcity of technology, trained individuals, and funds for culturally appropriate programs to bring awareness of the issue, all need to be addressed before substantial progress is made to end human trafficking.
Nine: The Lack of Training
Inadequate training on sexual violence and a lack of understanding of tribal cultural norms sometimes affect tribal and state laws.
Ten: Criminal Charges Against the Victim
Seeing the victim as a criminal seriously prevents victims from coming forward. Already, children are considered victims no matter the circumstances, but is not the same for adults in many cases.