justice for natives

I just read this, it's shocking:

One in three Native American or Alaska Native women will be raped at some point in their lives. Most do not seek justice because they know they will be met with inaction or indifference.

Most of these rapes are committed by outsiders and never prosecuted, not because local authorities don't want to, but because by law they can't! The Native Major Crimes act won't let them.



Under the act, seven major crimes--if committed by an Indian in Indian country--were placed within federal jurisdiction, regardless of whether the victim of the crime was an Indian


Basically, the FBI has to be called in for these crimes, and the FBI really doesn't care.


The Major Crimes Act was a great intrusion into the internal sovereignty of the tribes in that it deprived the tribes of the ability to try and to punish serious offenders in Indian country. The theory underlying it was that Indian tribes were not competent to deal with serious issues of crime and punishment.

Saving burial grounds and things is a great cause, but if you want something that really needs to change, here it is.

Don't forget practice friday, and I hope to see everybody at the Mothers Day powwow at seven circles.

(P.S.- I passed my test.)